Medication dispensing systems are proving to be an exceptionally critical tool for healthcare workers during these times of uncertainty.
Medication dispensing, which describes the practice of physicians and other healthcare providers dispensing medication to a patient in-office rather than through a pharmacy, may help address critical concerns in light of the ongoing pandemic. As the coronavirus continues to have a significant impact on our lives, the need for adaptability becomes ever more apparent.
It is clear that COVID-19 presents multiple challenges to patients struggling with ongoing illnesses. For one, the strain that the coronavirus has had on healthcare providers everywhere is affecting millions of Americans who rely on these services daily. These patients are at a greater risk of infection because they risk exposing themselves whenever they go out to seek medication and medical care. Some opt to either avoid refilling their prescription if their pharmacies cannot support more contactless deliveries or are forced to conserve medication and negatively affect their treatment due to ongoing constraints imposed by the virus.
By using medication dispensing systems, treatment providers help take some strain off local pharmacies while providing a convenient service to patients that helps improve adherence and reduces errors.
Medication Dispensing Systems Address Treatment Adherence Issues
The greatest benefit of direct dispensing is the fact that patients do not have to go to the pharmacy. Reduced pharmacy visits in the age of COVID-19 can mean reduced infections, especially when a visit to the urgent care clinic or doctor’s office is supplemented with contactless dispensing (via curbside pickup). This can help improve adherence in patients who do not want to risk leaving their cars to get their medication.
However, it is important to note direct dispensing has proven effective to improve medication adherence long before COVID-19. A substantial percentage of prescriptions are never filled – which means these patients never pick up the medication they are supposed to take at a pharmacy. By offering direct medication dispensing, physicians can ensure that their patients get the medication they need.
Furthermore, direct medication dispensing systems can help physicians better track when patients receive their medication – and thereby schedule accurate follow-up calls to help guide them through any questions, as well as get updates on their condition and treatment adherence.
No Crowds Outside and Inside the Pharmacy
It’s clear that the coronavirus travels more quickly in large crowds. Healthcare providers can help thin out the crowd and ensure that their patients receive their medication without having to come into contact with other humans with virtual visits (via effective and HIPAA-compliant telehealth services), and curbside pickup.
Despite stringent rules, regulations, and PPE, healthcare workers remain at risk for infection due to their close proximity with COVID-19 patients on a regular basis. Providing direct dispensing services keeps patients safe, as well as healthcare providers.
Curbside Pickup Enables Greater Safety and Convenience
Curbside pickup remains an important part of implementing direct medication dispensing systems during the ongoing crisis. By enabling patients to get their medication into their vehicles without the chance of human-to-human contact, physicians and healthcare providers can ensure the safety of their coworkers and their patients alike.
Furthermore, curbside pickup allows for far greater convenience for patients, which remains at a premium in today’s healthcare climate. Patients are looking for services that allow for more affordable medications, without compromising quality of care or their patient-doctor relationship.
Direct Medication Dispensing Helps Physicians Ensure Patients Receive Necessary Care
We live in uncertain times, and we do not know when that might change. As we adapt and improvise to face a developing situation, services like direct medication dispensing systems will prove critical to improving outcomes, and thereby saving lives.
At Proficient Rx, we work with physicians, clinics and other healthcare providers to smoothen your transition towards direct dispensing using our proprietary web-based medication dispensing systems and platform. We provide our partners with DEA- and FDA-approved prepackaged generic and branded OTC and prescription medication, while our easy-to-use program enables seamless inventory management and label printing.
To help healthcare providers continue to treat patients and minimize risk while improving convenience during these trying times, our dispensing software offers a Virtual Office Visit program, so patients can take full advantage of HIPAA-compliant HD video and audio while seeking telehealth services from their local urgent care clinic.
We also encourage healthcare providers to serve patients via contactless curbside pickup, so the most vulnerable among us can remain safe while seeking critical care.
