There’s no denying that physician dispensing is growing in popularity. This option used to be mainly available in more rural areas where pharmacies are few and far between, but the practice of in-office dispensing has spread to urban areas around the country.
There are various reasons why it’s become more common. For one thing, medication dispensing helps improve patient compliance with treatment by making it easier for them to get their prescriptions filled. Better medication adherence means better health outcomes.
It’s not just patients who benefit, though. In-office dispensing also helps physicians by adding another revenue stream. Physician dispensing companies typically offer much better rates to healthcare providers, allowing practices to generate income when they sell the medication.
Doctors also get the chance to offer medication education to their patients when they fill their prescriptions at the office. That reduces the chance of medication errors, which boosts patient satisfaction and keeps them coming back to the practice when they need care. That all translates into profits.
With all of the benefits it offers, it’s likely that you have considered physician dispensing. By having a clear idea of what to expect, you can make the right decision for your practice and your patients.
Have Realistic Expectations About Medication Adherence
Physician dispensing is not a magic button that will eliminate all non-adherence issues, but it will help with this insidious problem that puts lives at risk each year. There are many reasons why non-compliance is so dangerous. Crucially, when patients don’t follow their prescribed treatment, conditions worsen, and hospitalization rates spike.
Medication non-adherence accounts for 50% of all treatment failures and around 125,000 deaths a year. People with chronic conditions benefit the most from closely following medication regimens, and yet adherence in this demographic is only 50%.
One of the reasons patients don’t comply is that they don’t get their prescriptions filled on time or at all. People who have mobility issues or who don’t have transportation may find it too difficult to make another stop at a pharmacy to fill their prescriptions.
Dispensing medications at point-of-care is great for patient convenience and makes it much more likely that they’ll begin treatment.
That doesn’t mean, however, that they’ll stick to it. Physician dispensing can’t address secondary non-adherence, which occurs when patients don’t take the medications as prescribed.
In order to get the most out of on-site dispensing, it’s essential for healthcare providers to offer patient education and encourage compliance.
Start With Cash & Carry Drugs
When getting started with physician dispensing services, focus on cash-and-carry drugs. These are affordable, generic medications that patients can pay for themselves without needing to rely on insurance companies.
Cash-and-carry drugs make the dispensing process easier. You don’t have to worry about dealing with insurers (sometimes multiple ones per patient), which reduces the administrative burden. That’s essential for practices that are just finding their feet in the physician dispensing business or those that don’t have a lot of resources or time to spend on the complexities of insurance billing.
And the complexities are significant. If you work with lots of insurance companies, you’ll have to learn all of the ins and outs of how they each deal with how patients buy medications. Expect to see contradictory processes across different insurers. By focusing on affordable and generic medications, you can avoid the worst of these complexities.
Urgent care centers have adopted the use of cash-and-carry drugs for this same reason. Community clinics often rely on this option, too, especially busy clinics located in low-income areas where people are less likely to have health insurance and where there isn’t enough staff to deal with time-consuming insurance reimbursement processes.
Stocking Medications in Your Office
Consider your medical practice and the drugs that you prescribe most often. Those are the ones you want to stock for your dispensing program. Focus on antibiotics, for example, or medications for patients you treat who have chronic conditions. You won’t be able to stock every possible variation and option available, so narrow the choices based on actual need.
Focusing on stocking medications that you prescribe often can simplify the setup and can also make it easier to keep track of expiration dates. Because allowing medications to expire can put a significant financial strain on your practice, record-keeping is vital.
An option you have is to implement medication management software that can help you keep track of your stock. Combining powerful software with regular evaluations can prevent waste.
Essentially, keep in mind that dispensing doctors will still need to write prescriptions that patients have to fill at pharmacies. The goal is to reduce those instances as much as possible so that patient compliance improves, but eliminating them is unlikely.
Understand Changing State Regulations
Physician dispensing laws vary from state to state. Some states are stricter than others. New York, for example, allows medical practitioners to provide these services, but they can only prescribe a 72-hour supply of the medication.
Some states require additional licenses and certifications. Florida, for example, requires that physicians who want to dispense register with the Florida Department of Health. Utah requires physicians to get a license to dispense medications.
A number of states, Utah included, make it possible for nurse practitioners and physician assistants to dispense medications, too.
Something that most states require is that physicians let patients know of their right to have their prescriptions filled at a pharmacy if that is what they prefer.
Compliance with safety standards is also important, and that can vary from state to state. For physicians who want to get started with drug dispensing, the safe storage of medications, along with careful record-keeping, is essential to prevent abuse.
One of the challenges that you face is that state regulations can change quickly. You will need to stay up to date on the latest news to ensure you remain compliant. Regularly consult your State Board of Pharmacy and reach out to your medication suppliers for guidance.
Training Your Staff
The dispensing of medication at a doctor’s office requires training your staff to remain compliant with state regulations. You will need to set up protocols that follow the state laws to the letter.
The training should focus on managing inventory, handling patient transactions, and ensuring patients know their rights. Once your staff members learn the steps of physician dispensing, they usually don’t vary.
A great thing about dispensing medications at a physician’s office is that you won’t need to hire more staff. Your current staff can integrate the system into existing routines without really slowing anything down. Drug dispensing takes just a couple of minutes, so it won’t significantly impact the workload.
As with any new process, there may be a learning curve and occasional retraining may be necessary to ensure everything goes smoothly and patient safety remains at the forefront.
Equipment Requirements
Most medical practices have all of the necessary equipment to begin physician dispensing. For example, you don’t need a fancy new printer to print labels if you already have one up and running. At the most, you’ll have to purchase one or two crucial equipment pieces that you can use for more than medication dispensing.
Most practices also have secure storage areas. If you don’t, that’s one of the most important things you’ll want to invest in. Ensure that the storage you set up complies with state regulations and federal laws to prevent drug theft and abuse.
An important partner in your in-house dispensing system is the medication supplier you work with. They can help you with regulatory concerns and could offer suggestions on how the program can be as efficient as possible.
Get Started With In-Office Physician Dispensing
Physician dispensing offers benefits for patients and providers alike. Patients get convenient access to the medications they need, which improves treatment adherence, and providers can add another stream of revenue to their practice while helping patients achieve better health outcomes.
If you’re interested in physician dispensing to help improve patient care, then consider Proficient Rx. We can streamline the process of in-office dispensing. We offer turnkey solutions that can transform your practice into a more efficient and lucrative business. Contact our team to learn more about how doctor dispensing works.