Physician medication dispensing has many benefits, one of which being improving the efficiency and patient care during virtual telehealth visits.
Providing comprehensive and qualitative patient care during a pandemic has proven to be a significant challenge. Many healthcare resources have been completely wrapped up in the battle against the virus, sometimes at the cost of care for patients with other health issues, particularly chronic conditions requiring frequent monitoring.
Many urgent care facilities and physician’s practices have adapted to the current state of things via increased digitalization, leveraging new and existing technologies to continue to advise and see patients without endangering their health.
Even as we move towards the light at the end of the tunnel, COVID-19 continues to claim lives daily. With the very real dangers of a pandemic fresh on our minds for years to come, we are sure to see some major changes in virtually every industry even after the end of the pandemic.
Through improved telehealth services, healthcare providers have been able not only to continue to help care for their patients but have begun tapping into the added benefits of increased digitalization in the healthcare industry. The push towards faster and better virtual healthcare has also had its upsides, particularly in terms of patient convenience and safety.
Yet, many aspects of care cannot be completed virtually. The safe prescription and delivery of medication, for example, may necessitate that patients come in at least once to verify their identity and condition and buy their own medication.
Some practices have begun leveraging physician medication dispensing as a means to continue to minimize patient risk and increase patient convenience and make it as easy as possible to get medicine during the pandemic without violating the safety measures put in place to avoid medication abuse.
Physician Medication Dispensing and Virtual Telehealth Visits
Physician medication dispensing is the ability to prescribe and sell medication at the point of care. State legislation and a state’s respective Board of Pharmacy dictates whether physician dispensing is allowed in any given state, as well as to what capacity.
Some states are lenient towards physician dispensing provided there is enough oversight, while others only allow the stocking of regularly used medications and an emergency supply. Other states yet are much more rigid when it comes to managing whether and how physicians dispense drugs.
Depending on what state you are licensed in and where your practice is based, physician medication dispensing may be an effective way for you to expand patient care and help tackle serious ongoing health issues during the pandemic, such as medication non-adherence.
Medication dispensing also works hand-in-hand with telehealth by massively improving patient convenience through a remote, digital solution to the dire risks of exposure for many patients with compromised or weakened immune systems. By integrating hands-off delivery and curbside pickup into a physician dispensing service, urgent care clinics and private practices can operate remotely as much as possible while continuing to provide quality care and medication.
The Importance of Telehealth During COVID-19
The importance of remote healthcare solutions cannot be understated. Within just a few months, the global healthcare industry pivoted and prioritized the integration of a growing suite of remote healthcare products, particularly telehealth software that would allow physicians and other healthcare providers to advise and treat patients via confidential and encrypted video calls and utilize organizational software to keep track of patient medication and schedule necessary follow-ups.
During the pandemic, healthcare across the globe has been hit with physician shortages, inadequate protective gear, limits to patient care due to lockdowns, not to mention the risk of exposure and infection among medical practitioners and, subsequently, patients.
Remote solutions have grown rapidly in both availability and viability for many practices. Still, other services are needed to help patients receive the care they need during the second and third waves of the pandemic.
Alongside digital solutions, making it easier for patients to get the medications they need at the same point of care is crucial. Part of that involves offering contactless ways to acquire medication, such as curbside pickups and scheduled deliveries.
Physician dispensing also allows healthcare providers to keep better tabs on whether their patients are receiving adequate care and are properly educated on the medication they need to take – from dosage to intake instructions, as well as careful patient medication history reviews to catch and act on contraindications.
Point-of-Care Medication, Curbside Pickups, and Social Distancing
Point-of-care dispensing can be a valuable tool in a physician’s arsenal for combatting medication non-adherence, helping patients avoid crowded big-box pharmacies or confusing pickup appointments, and promoting social distancing to limit exposure alongside better virtual telehealth services.
Even as we approach a potential end to the pandemic through the widespread rollout of vaccines, the potential for virtual care cannot be ignored and will only grow in relevance from hereon out.
Proficient Rx is dedicated to providing patient care solutions for healthcare providers focused on adapting to the new normal.
COVID-19 has seen many practices rapidly adopt digital tools and technologies in response to the growing threat of the virus. The healthcare industry as a whole has embraced digitalization as an essential step in the right direction towards improving patient convenience, curbing the rising costs of healthcare, and addressing some of the issues looming over the American healthcare industry, such as physician shortages and outdated hospital technologies.
We at Proficient Rx aim to arm our clients with the means to address patient needs in the middle of the pandemic through easy plug-and-play virtual telehealth solutions and a secure HIPAA-compliant web-based dispensing platform to order and keep track of patient medication.
Through physician dispensing, our clients enjoy the addition of a persuasive value proposition to their practice while expanding their ability to provide care to patients. Start working with Proficient Rx today to integrate virtual telehealth solutions and physician dispensing into your practice and help your patients reap the benefits.
