Direct dispensing means you are prescribing medicines or medical products that aid your patients in their recovery from an illness or ailment. With the modernization of how patients can acquire items, it is fortunate that you can be a part of this movement.
Medical vending machines exist for a wide range of products. Even legal marijuana can be purchased from machines. Vending machines are just one example of how convenience is becoming a trend in our nation.
Everyone wants to be able to meet their needs quickly, and for less money. They don’t want to be hassled or bothered. And they certainly don’t want to wait in long lines with other sick people.
Some patients will forego medication altogether if they feel it cost too much or if they must wait many hours to retrieve what they need.
Direct dispensing provides many conveniences for patients, making you look like a hero. Your patients recognize how much you care when you do things to make their life easier, especially when they are ill.
Keep reading to find out just how convenient direct dispensing can be.
Financial Convenience
You can work with a medication dispensing company to get the lowest costs for your patients. You can lower the price of medications while still making a nice profit for yourself.
Your patients are not all wealthy members of society. Many are struggling to make ends meet. Some are living paycheck to paycheck and may even be missing payments on occasion.
Your patients will appreciate the reduced costs you can provide them.
The software that is provided by the dispensing company makes it easy to submit claims directly to insurance company billing departments. This means you can receive your payments a lot faster than before.
Refill Convenience
Refills are so much easier for patients when using in-office dispensing. Often, patients call to get their prescriptions refilled at a pharmacy and are told they need doctor approval for a refill. They then make an appointment to see the doctor, who then approves the refill.
Sometimes patients can just call in to the practice and leave a voice mail regarding the needed approval. Either way, this can take days. By then, patients may have run out of their medication and put their health at risk.
With direct dispensing, the patient can call directly into your office to place the request for refill. You can check their records to determine if a refill can be approved. They go by your office and in just a few minutes, pick up their prescription.
Convenience of Immediate Relief
Patients can be taking their medication within minutes when you dispense at the point of care. You can even administer a dose to them in your office. This reduces anxiety in patients who dread making that trip to the pharmacy only to wait for hours before they can start taking their medication.
When a patient is sick, they just want to take medicine, rest and heal. They want quick relief and their idea of wellness means getting rid of pain as fast as possible. Going to the pharmacy involves many steps: finding a ride, waiting for their ride, waiting at the pharmacy.
It can be hours before the first dose of medication can be taken. This means they spend several extra hours suffering when they could be at home, recovering.
Patients needing medical equipment and supplies can purchase products in your office, in your care. This gives you the opportunity to teach your patients how to properly use their durable medical equipment or supplies.
Being able to get a cane immediately rather than struggling to get to a pharmacy can prevent the possibility of further injuries. Being able to get testing strips at the point of care and being taught how to use a blood sugar monitor can help the patient learn self-care a lot sooner.
Convenient Office Management
Direct dispensing is making the work of office staff easier than ever before. With direct dispensing software, everything from patient records to reporting is streamlined. In just minutes you can access a patient’s records, and run reports to see if they are compliant or due for a refill.
You can also run reports comparing and differentiating all your patients.
The software makes restocking your supplies, printing labels, and billing insurances quick and efficient processes. Your staff can access technical support any time day or night.
Your staff no longer must stack and store paper files. They no longer must give up desk space. And keeping records for the length of time required can be done using the software, not filing cabinets.
Using the dispensing software is so easy, even the staff who are afraid of change will not have problems adjusting.
Convenient Compliance For Direct Dispensing
You are set to higher standards than any other professionals. You are a physician and must remain compliant with all rules and regulations set forth by federal, state and local governments.
Direct dispensing software helps you remain compliant. It makes it easy to track, record, report and print information you will need to turn in to the specific agencies during audits and inspections.
You can scan and input all necessary data needed to show your compliance.
You will be required to show the pharmacy board in your state that you are compliant. You will also need to comply with controlled substances laws and reporting requirements. You must make sure your physician assistants and nurse practitioners remain in compliance too.
Furthermore, you will need to prove you are dispensing appropriately, according to good practices. Policies, procedures, processes and controls will be inspected.
Dispensing software makes monitoring and updating all of these less difficult.