In-office dispensing provides benefits to both your practice and patients, but how do you find the best dispensing company for your practice.
Physician dispensing is picking up in popularity as an alternative for healthcare providers interested in helping their patients gain better and easier access to medicine.
While home deliveries and e-prescriptions have made many a run to the pharmacy simpler than ever, a point-of-care dispensing system allows patients to seek individualized advice from their general physician or specialist when picking up their medication and allows them to avoid the trip to the pharmacy whenever they have to pick up a prescription drug that cannot be delivered remotely.
Furthermore, there is a point to be made for both the increase in patient convenience and medication adherence when choosing to implement a physician dispensing service. Not only can doctors offer in-person medical advice and medication info to their patients when dispensing from their office, but they can easily ensure that a patient has received their medication without first coordinating with the pharmacy.
The Benefits of In-Office Dispensing Services
Medication adherence is a serious issue plaguing the current healthcare system, and much of it stems from a lack of options and alternatives when procuring treatments and drugs. Through in-person dispensing, a physician can also better advise their patient on branded and generic drugs, alternative treatment plans, and more.
But any attempt to fully implement a dispensing system must take into account the trials and challenges of getting licensed and approved by the proper state authorities (often including the State Board of Pharmacy), finding a DEA-approved source of prepackaged medications, maintaining a steady inventory, carefully managing and tracking said inventory to satisfy the authorities involved (and ensure that every dose is accounted for), and keeping track of the patient information needed to prescribe and dispense medication in-office – with utmost confidence in your data security.
These logistic issues are part of the reason why physician dispensing is best implemented with a good partner. The right dispensing company can help you make the most of the benefits of dispensing, while mitigating and eliminating the downsides. But what makes a good dispensing company?
What Makes a Good Dispensing Company?
A good dispensing company and solutions partner will offer the entire suite to get your practice started on dispensing medication at the point of care – from helping you get state-level approval and navigate the rules and requirements of your local Board of Pharmacy*, to guiding you through the process of implementing a dispensing solution and providing you with the necessary inventory to get started.
Dispensing solutions need to be comprehensive, responsive, and effective – leveraging modern software tools and an intuitive user interface to create a user experience that doesn’t leave you wondering how you’re going to implement this system into your practice.
This means having direct access to inventory information, important patient data, and the ability to easily order and write prescriptions and bills, without wasting time clicking your way aimlessly through the program.
(*) Note: Not all states currently allow physician dispensing, and some states restrict it (i.e. inventory size and specific medication).
Looking for the Right Services
Physician dispensing is a three-ingredient dish. You need:
- Permission and the proper credentials to get started
- Access to the medication
- The means to manage and track your dispensing history
Physicians willing to dispense medication in-office must be ready to follow the strictest letter of the law in your state. To that end, the dispensing of medication (especially controlled substances) must be carefully managed, and every dose must be accounted for. This is where having the ability to print and record labels, as well as track inventory, becomes important to any dispensing system.
With these requirements come additional considerations. You want a system that is secure, and ensures that a patient’s data remains safe, and their privacy unharmed. You also want access to knowledgeable support staff, so when there are questions to be answered, and issues to be addressed, you know you can get an answer swiftly.
A Reliable Source of Repackaged Medication
Pick a dispensing company and partner that can help provide you with the medication you need to get started. This can save you the trouble of looking out for the best deals and going through the trouble of stocking up manually.
By partnering with a dispensing solutions provider that also prepares and stocks medication and other pharmaceutical products, you can cut out the middleman, stock up via the program itself, and cut out another step in the process.
A Secure and Simple Dispensing Management System
Clunky, outdated, or vulnerable medication dispensing software is a danger and a liability to your practice. Work with a partner that provides a continuously updated and managed software, one that is compliant with the latest privacy and security standards and is easy to use.
A clean user interface can go a long way, as can a program that focus on the fundamentals – such as EMR integration, PMP controlled substance reporting, medication ordering and tracking, and label printing.
Who Is Physician Dispensing for?
Dispensing services are used by all manner of healthcare providers, including:
- Hospitals
- Urgent care facilities
- Private practices
- On-site employee health clinics for certain companies
- And more
Physicians involved in any part of the healthcare industry can consider physician dispensing as a great value proposition for their business, while boosting their reputation, improving patient convenience and patient satisfaction, and providing a valuable service to the community as a useful alternative to a run to the pharmacy.
Why Choose Us as Your Dispensing Company and Partner?
State-of-the-art repackaging, a plug-and-play web based dispensing system, telehealth solutions, and fast support are just a few of the hallmarks of our service list, making us your preferred dispensing company and partner.
At Proficient Rx, we have a history of providing our clients with simple and reliable dispensing solutions.
Our systems are HIPAA-compliant and built with total security in mind, while allowing you to access and manage your inventory from any device in the office via a web-based system. This also means you don’t have to worry about lengthy installment processes, tedious updates, or extensive tech support issues and troubleshooting. Give us a call and get started today.