Tag Archives: direct dispensing

Why Medication Dispensing Systems Are More Important Than Ever in This Time of Uncertainty

August 24, 2020Blogdirect dispensingproficient

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 and more expedient healthcare, 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.

In-Office Dispensing = Happier Patients

May 16, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, in-office dispensing, medication dispensingproficient

Happier patients equal long-term relationships and stable revenue for you and your practice. According to reports, there are many basic actions you can take to make your patients happier. You can make their wait time more enjoyable, or at least keep them informed on their wait time.

Happier patients want you to sit down and spend more time with them. They want you to explain their medical problems to them in a language they can understand. They want you to be the messenger, not your staff.

If a patient has a long waiting time and then gets less than ten or fifteen minutes with you, the doctor, they are not happy. Many may feel devalued and leave thinking you are only interested in making as much money as possible and that you do not really care about their health.

Yes, you do want to make as much money as possible. That is normal. But you also do have a desire to provide better care to your patients. You want them to know they are important. You want them to remain loyal, happy patients.

One way to ensure happier patients is with in-office dispensing. Keep reading to find out how dispensing medicines at the point of care can equal happier patients.

Happier Patients Gain Knowledge

Patients want to understand what is wrong with them. Too often, patients are just following your orders and do not truly understand what is going on with their own bodies. Many can’t even pronounce the prescriptions you order and struggle telling friends and family why you prescribed it.

If you are dispensing medicines to your patients, you have the perfect opportunity to provide them with worthwhile information regarding the medicine they are about to take. They can find out if the medicine you prescribed interacts with other medications.

They can also be taught when to take their medicine, how to take it and for how long. You should never assume patients are able to read the instructions and follow through.

More knowledge equals greater follow-through, which equals better health outcomes, which equals happier patients.

They Gain Time

Your patients are just as busy as you are. Yet, they take time out of their busy schedule to sit in your office and wait for help. This can be very frustrating for busy patients, especially those who do not feel well but still have many duties to complete.

The last thing they want to do is leave your office and take their prescription to a pharmacy, where they will continue to wait and wait and wait.

An in-office dispensary eliminates a lot of this wait time for your patients, even when getting refills.

If you are dispensing medicines to your patients directly, they simply call in to your office and schedule for the pickup. Because there are only your patients obtaining refills this way, there is a much less wait time involved.

Providing in-office dispensing to your patients allows them to get back to their lives and to healing much faster, making them much happier.

They Gain Privacy

Confidentiality is a big deal to patients. If they feel their confidentiality could be or has been violated, they will be hurt and angry.

Patients do not want to ask personal questions in front of a line of people like they must do at a pharmacy. There are no confidential areas at pharmacies that provide the secrecy patients are seeking.

In your office, you can offer patients security the pharmacy cannot. Patients are expected to trust their doctor and their pharmacist. Providing confidential services is one of the best ways to make sure this happens.

In your office, you can meet with them privately to discuss their prescription, educate them on their illness and the medication you are prescribing, and improving the chances that they will follow through with treatment.

When they follow through and notice better health, they will be much happier in all areas of their life.

They Lose Manipulation

Many pharmacies are set up to make money on products other than a prescription. Today, pharmacies sell cosmetics, school supplies and even groceries. There is constant temptation placed on the patient to make impulse purchases while waiting on a prescription.

These impulse buys for items they don’t need are costing your patients money and pharmacies know this. Pharmacies implement product placement strategies to attract your patients to products they do not need.

In-office dispensing does not focus on upselling like pharmacies do, making patients feeling good when they leave your office, not guilty for spending more than they intended. They go home happier, with just the thoughts of improving their health.

They Gain a Better Physician

The happier you are as a physician, the more satisfied your patients will be. Your patients know when you are happy in your job and when you are just going through the motions. All patients want a doctor who is excited to be practicing medicine.

In-office dispensing can make you happier by giving you more time and a lot more revenue. Some reports claim adding an in-office dispensing program can bring between $50,000 to $200,000 extra each year. Both numbers make it worth the effort.

Other reports claim you can make up to $5 per prescription written through your point of care prescribing program. Now take the number of prescriptions you write per year and multiply that by five. That’s a significant increase.

It can also streamline your office practices, making your staff happier and reducing negative feedback from staff. You can hire nurse practitioners and add additional ancillary services.

The technology used with in-office dispensing makes it easy for anyone who will be using the system. Software packages are created specifically for your office’s needs that have been shown to reduce errors in prescriptions. This can lower your stress levels because you no longer need to worry about pharmacist errors.

Patients do not feel their best, or they wouldn’t be visiting you in the first place. You can make the experience better for them. You can do many things to make them happier.

Help Patients by Dispensing Medication Directly

April 24, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, direct medication dispensingproficient

You became a physician for many reasons. But one at the top of your list is to help patients. Help can mean many things. Most often in the medical field, helping a patient means healing them from an ailment. Or if you cannot heal them, you provide treatments to ease their symptoms.

What you may not know is that you can also help patients by dispensing medication directly to them at the point of care.

Below are some of the ways in-office dispensing can help patients.

Saves You and Your Patient Time

Saving your patients time is a convenience they will greatly appreciate. Many take personal time from work to see you. Others must schedule rides because they are unable to drive themselves.

The last thing they want to have to add to their schedules is an unexpected trip to the pharmacy.

Even if the pharmacy is located right down the street from your office, it still takes time. Most of the major pharmacies take an hour to fill a prescription. Dispensing directly allows your patients to have access to their medication in less time and with less hassle, allowing you to better help patients coming through your door.

An in-office dispensary is not only convenient, it can help patients follow-through with taking the medicines you deem necessary.

You and your staff can also save time for yourselves by dispensing directly. You no longer need to communicate back and forth with the pharmacy. No more faxing prescriptions, refills or corrections.

Your nurses no longer spend time answering voice mail requests for prescriptions, then submitting the order to a pharmacist. Instead, the software system can automatically track refill information for patients.

You Can Track Patient Medication Use

You don’t typically know if your patients are following through with their medications once they leave your office. You are not certain whether they even pick up their prescription at the pharmacy. By dispensing medication directly, you can better monitor your patients medication use.

With your monitoring, patient treatment goals and outcomes will improve, and you will have concrete data as evidence, allowing you to better help patients.

One of the easiest ways you can track whether your patients are taking medications as prescribed is how often, or if at all, they request refills. By dispensing refills at the point of care, you can gain insight that will help you in working with patients.

The software that comes with a medication dispensing system can help you track patient results, allowing you to quickly print reports based on the data you need to set treatment goals.

Builds Trust That Encourages Follow Through

Patients come to you for solutions. However, not all patients immediately trust your advice. They want to get to know you better before truly investing in your treatments. Dispensing medication directly can help you build this trust.

In-office you can teach them exactly how to administer their medication. You can educate them on the benefits of taking their medication. You can teach them the benefits of the medication and discuss in detail potential side effects.

Your patients want to learn from someone they trust. The more time you can spend with them, the more they will trust you. Dispensing directly gives you that extra time.

When you patient receives their medicine at the point of care, they are more likely to feel obligated to fill it and take it as prescribed.

You can monitor their intake and measure their outcomes. Because the patient knows you will be able to see their chart to determine if they are taking their medicine, they are more likely to follow their schedule. They want to please you by taking their medications.

Pharmacists don’t usually know when a patient with a new prescription has failed to get it filled. They are too busy dealing with the patients who are waiting for their prescription. If your patient leaves your office with a prescription and decides they don’t want to go to the pharmacy, you and the pharmacist are not privy to this information.

With direct dispensing, your patients will leave your office with their medicine, not a prescription. They have no excuses for avoiding taking their medicine. They have no excuses as to why they couldn’t make it to the pharmacy.

Help Patients by Reducing Medication Errors

By filling prescriptions within your office, you help patients because they can worry less about pharmacist errors and more about getting well.

Because some medicines are similar in shape, color and size, pharmacists confuse one drug for the other.

Not only is dispensing the wrong drug a problem but dispensing the wrong dosage of the right medicine.Pharmacists make mistakes when it comes to delivering the wrong dose of medication to patients.

If a pharmacist dispenses a dose that is too low, a person may not benefit from any of the effects of the medicine. If the effects of the medicine are to keep blood from clotting or decrease blood pressure, there could be serious negative consequences if their dose is too low.

You can also feel confident that the medications you are dispensing must pass strict inspections. Both manufacturers and packagers take extra steps to maintain this quality with each drug, making consistency a reality within a drug class.

They do this by using quality control processes.

Quality control involves all the actions a company takes to make sure medicines are pure, safe and compliant with all laws and regulations.

Keep Patient Information Private

In addition, customers do not like providing personal information unless it is in a confidential setting. Standing in line at the pharmacy is not confidential.

Sometimes, pharmacists are simply negligent in providing counseling. In-office dispensing provides patients with a chance to discuss their prescriptions with the physician in a private setting. Because the physician is only dispensing to their patients, a much lighter case load than a pharmacist, fewer errors will occur.

Using in-office dispensing software programs and prepackaged medication provides an extra layer of safety and is easy for the physician and qualified staff to quickly deliver the prescription to the patient.

Ultimately, there would be no practice without patients. Providing the best care possible is how you can retain loyal patients and attract new ones. You can do this with doctor dispensing practices that allow you to follow your patient’s health from start to finish.

Increasing the Profitability of a Practice via Medication Dispensing

April 18, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, direct medication dispensing, dispense in office, in-office dispensingproficient

As a physician, you have many responsibilities. You maintain a full patient roster, so you can provide a secure job for your staff and yourself. The pressure of making enough money to maintain your profitability as a practice can be overwhelming at times.

Finding ways to reduce your stress while increasing your profitability allows you to make patient care your priority, not finances. Dispensing medications is proving to be a wonderful way to do this.

In-office dispensing is becoming more popular as physicians recognize the benefits for both the practice.

Why Medication Dispensing Makes Sense

Thousands of medicines are available for prepackaging. From decongestants to contraceptives to medicines associated with mental illness can be prepackaged and shipped to any clinic, no matter what level of medical degree or specialties exist within a practice.

Physicians find a great deal of comfort knowing each medicine ordered for inventory goes through an intense inspection process that meets FDA approval. Extraordinary steps are taken to ensure medicines are prepackaged correctly and are shipped in a timely manner. It is a top goal to make all custom orders a priority.

When most of your patients are taking at least one prescription, it is likely there are commonalities among the prescriptions you write. Some of your patients are likely on four or five prescriptions for similar problems.

Finding these common prescriptions is a great start to creating your list of medicines to dispense and increase your profitability.

Common Medications

The most common drugs prescribed by physicians last year included analgesics, antihyperlipidemic agents, and antidepressants.

Solid, compressed, time-release and coated are the most common types of solid form dosages today. Tablets appear to be the easiest form for most patients.

Solid form dosage medicines commonly used to treat the most common illnesses are in tablet form. These are used to treat patients with heart disease, as well as many other illnesses.

All these medicines are available in prepackaged form and can be dispensed in your office, giving you the profitability you need versus sending money to a pharmacy. In addition to dispensing common medications, you can dispense durable medical equipment for higher revenue.

Durable Medical Equipment

Patients would much rather purchase their needed equipment from you, at the point of care, rather than from a pharmacy who can mark prices higher than you will. The convenience alone saves your patients money.

It can mean more profitability for you, however.

Durable medical equipment, dispensed in-office, is a huge benefit for patients. Patients who need durable medical equipment often are handicapped or disabled in some way.

To help patients move around, a doctor can prescribe specific mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, scooters and canes.

Specific personal care aids include rods to help patients pull up their own pants and socks. They can also include raised toilet seats for patients who have trouble bending. Bath and shower aids can include handles and shower stools.

All personal care aids enable the patient to remain independent.

Artificial limbs are serving over two million Americans today.

Orthotic equipment is often prescribed by doctors for foot therapy and pain relief. Common orthotics include shoe inserts, possibly to help with arch support. Others include heat moldable orthotics, and shoe insoles.

Durable medical equipment can be dispensed along with durable medical supplies, which are different for your patients. Although different, still very much needed and an uncomplicated way to create extra profitability.

Durable Medical Supplies

Durable medical equipment is sometimes confused with disposable medical supplies. While both are needed and used by the elderly, ill and disabled, they are different.

The main difference is that durable medical supplies are items that help a patient care for themselves but are disposed of once used. Examples of supplies include blood sugar testing strips for diabetics. Durable medical supplies can also include disposable gloves that a patient or caregiver may wear during a daily treatment.

Supplies can also include bandages, catheter equipment, needles for injections and diapers. If it is used once and then thrown away, it is considered a durable medical supply.

These items at a pharmacy can be quite expensive. Because you can offer the supplies at a lower mark up price, your patients will recognize and appreciate this benefit. Dispensing medical supplies is a straightforward way for you to increase your profitability.

Keep Adding Ancillary Services For Profitability

Once you establish and see success with the ancillary service of dispensing medication, equipment and supplies, you can then proceed with even higher revenue services.

In-office dispensing can be followed up with much needed in-office lab testing. You could also add x-ray and diagnostic testing for your patients, or even diabetes education.

Some physicians even go further and add an urgent care clinic to their list of services. While this may seem like a huge undertaking, the others are much more doable with the cost of the equipment being the most expensive.

The more services you provide to your patients at the point of care, the better. You are showing you care about your patients by saving them time and closing the gap between the time you prescribe an order to the time they receive it.

The more ways you establish to bring in extra income, the higher your profitability. With providing just in-office consultations and check-ups, you are relying solely on those appointments, and those set fees, to support your practice.

Adding ancillary services can give your practice more avenues of support and greater financial security. On those days when patients may not show up for appointments, you can feel secure that your ancillary services are making up for any profit losses.

Having multiple streams of revenue is always a better option, for you, your staff and your patients.

Repackaging Rules Are Rules For A Good Reason

April 3, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, pre-packaged medicines, prepackaged medicationproficient

If you received medication covered in dust, you would be concerned. If you received your medication and were told they were handled by a staff member who has the flu, you would be outraged. If you received the wrong medication, or the wrong dose of medication, you would not stand for it. All these scenarios are risky for you and for your patients. This is why repackaging rules are set into place, to protect you both.

Repackaging of medication comes with even stricter rules for sanitation purposes and for overall safety than normal medicine. The laws can make you feel comfortable and secure that your patients will not be harmed when you prescribe the medications they need to meet their health goals.

Keep reading to learn about some of the repackaging rules that are in place for everyone’s protection. First, let’s understand what it means to repackage a product.

What is Repackaging?

Medication you order is created by a manufacturer. This manufacturer places the newly created medicine in an original package. This packaging will not be the final packaging. Instead, the medicines are shipped to a repackaging company.

The repackaging company removes the medicine from its original packaging and puts into a safer, more convenient form of storage. For instance, your medicine may arrive at the repackaging company in a single container. They may then be removed from the single container and placed in individual blister packs, separating them into single doses. This is considered repackaging for convenience.

The Federal Drug Administration enforces strict repackaging rules when it comes to repackaging any product. Furthermore, the facility must be licensed and certified as an approved site for repackaging. The FDA sets forth such strict guidelines to maintain safety for consumers and to protect you from any malpractice.

Below are a few of the repackaging rules a repackaging facility must follow to pass FDA inspection.

Container Safety Rules

With both unit-dosing and multiple-dosing packaging, repackaging rules and regulations must be met and approved before they can be distributed to you or your patients.

The containers used must be damage free, even from minor damages that consumers may not even notice. Containers must maintain protection from light that can reduce the effectiveness of medicine. It must also protect from temperature damage when stored correctly.

Containers must also keep the medicine dry, must stay sealed, yet also be easy to open by the patient while at the same time hard to open for children. After all these are in place, the containers must still pass inspection with extensive documentation available to support its safety.

Labeling Rules

Labeling and relabeling medicines follow good manufacturing processes set forth by the FDA and The World Health Organization.

The new container must contain specific labeling information. The label must state accurate drug names, dosage, instructions, and who to contact in case of emergency. The manufacturer information should also be included.

The physician will place additional information to include your practice contact information, date of dispensing and any other warnings for the client.

Keeping good records is required. Repackaging companies must keep quality records for at least one year after the date of being repackaged.

Repackaging rules state records must include the date of repackaging, prescription name, physician who will be dispensing the medicine, and drug name. The strength of the drug must be listed, as well as the quantity. These steps must be verified and signed by an authority figure in the repackaging company.

Regulations are now including the serialization of medicines to make them easily traceable, especially when repackaging controlled substances.

Quality Control Safety Processes

Quality control involves all the actions a company takes to make sure medicines are pure, safe and compliant with all laws and regulations.

Quality control can prevent counterfeiting of drugs. With online sales of counterfeit medicines rising, this is an important safety measure. Prevention of counterfeit drugs can literally save your patients’ lives.

When your patients are safe, your practice is more secure. You do not have to fear liability issues. Good repackaging companies will be excited to tell you all the safety tests they have passed. They will want you to know they strive for perfection in every area, from sorting to labeling to shipping.

Additional Repackaging Rules

There are repackaging rules and regulations to cover every step of the process. Other than those listed above, repackagers must also meet strict environmental control clean room regulations. These ensure medications are safe from cross-contamination, dust, dirt and any other particles that could affect the drug.

Clean rooms help provide this healthy environment during the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. Clean rooms focus on the air in the facility where drugs are manufactured. If the air is clean, everything else in the facility will be cleaner.

A clean room is defined as the space used to contain an area that needs to be free of particles that could potentially contaminate a product. They are also used to control temperature and pressure.

Production equipment must meet exacting standards that can meet both long-run and short-run production needs. The equipment must be at a regulated speed and fully-automated. It must be state-of-the-art and use custom software.

The software used in repackaging must constantly be modernized to create the most efficient processes.

All parts of the production process must be set up to offer the fastest times with computerized controls that are developed to count tablets, sort, package, seal and label.

Everything is not about computers, software and equipment. The staff that are present, must abide by strict regulations too.

Personnel must undergo training, environmental safety and what to do in case of accidents or contamination issues. Personnel are required to wear specific protection clothing while in the lab. They have guidelines to follow when dressing and undressing.

They must know how to keep the room clean with the implementation of steps established to avoid contamination, from changing air filters to monitoring air flow.

Knowing the many repackaging rules and regulations can offer you confidence in your decision to dispense medicines at the point of care. You can know that your patients are receiving the safest product available to help them obtain better health.

Dispensing Revenue You Can’t Afford to Miss

March 20, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, dispense in officeproficient

As a physician, you are able to increase the revenue you bring in each month by introducing new services into your practice. Many services do not require a lot of money to start but give you a huge return on your investment. Not only do you benefit financially, your patients benefit from the convenience and better care they receive. Below are some of the dispensing revenue streams you can implement now.

Wellness Programs

Physicians are recognizing the importance of patients taking responsibility for their health and teaching them to be proactive in reaching health goals.

Wellness programs allow you to work with nutritionists who can further teach your patients how they can improve their own health naturally, without always relying on synthetic medications.

You can sell alternative medicines at the point of care. Because you can obtain these remedies at wholesale costs, you can often double the price on each product, making a nice profit on dispensing revenue.

Premier Services

Why not make your patients feel catered to? Why not give them the one-stop-shop they desire? This makes your patients feel special and lets them know you care about their time and their care.

Patients want you to be in control of all their services. They want to go to one place to complete the many tests you require to analyze their health. You can provide many tests at the point of care. Ultrasounds, blood testing, and x rays are just a few services you can provide onsite.

Patients do not enjoy traveling to many different medical sites for one health condition. By offering these services in your office, you will attract loyal, satisfied patients. You will even be able to charge more money for the services and make more dispensing revenue.

Patients are often willing to pay more for convenience.

You can further increase your revenue by offering common, simple procedures at the point of care. Services that are not intensive and can be completed in an hour or less are perfect for adding to your list of dispensing revenue streams.

Controlled Substances

The need for controlled substances is increasing, not decreasing. Just because a few of your patients are abusing the drugs, doesn’t mean there aren’t patients who can benefit from them. There are patients who will use them as directed and their pain can be alleviated.

Having these controlled substances at the point of care can give you better control over how you prescribe them to your patients. Rather than giving them a prescription for a month supply, you can give them a week’s supply. This makes the patient more accountable to you, protecting you and the patient from negative outcomes while boosting your dispensing revenue at the same time.

Durable Medical Supplies

Medical supplies are much different than medical equipment. Supplies are disposable. They are typically used one time and then thrown away.

Medical supplies consist of bandages, gauze, and tape. Other supplies include irrigation tools and rubber gloves that can prevent contamination.

Needles and test strips are considered medical supplies also and can be used to increase your dispensing revenue.

Supplies can be used by the patient, the doctor, nurse and even the caregiver. They are made to increase patient self-care, while preventing the spread of any diseases or infections.

Durable Medical Equipment

By providing durable medical equipment in your office, you are helping your patients receive immediate assistance. Most insurance companies will pay for the equipment. However, patients can purchase them outright when they want and giving them the option to do so can help your dispensing revenue.

Personal care aids can help your patients monitor their own vital signs. Heart monitors allow patients to check if there are any abnormalities in their heart rate. If so, they know to contact you. Heart monitors are also a way for you to measure how their heart, so you can make a better diagnosis.

Common Medications

Dispensing only the most common medications you prescribe keeps your inventory low but your returns high. You are not required to stock one or two of every medicine available. Instead, you pick medications to store based on the needs of your patients only.

Some common medications include anti-depressants, blood pressure medications and drugs for controlling cholesterol. Other common medications include diabetic medications, as well as insulin and supplies.

Analgesics that are non-narcotic could have major importance in your practice. Minor pain-relieving agents could even be administered by you or your staff right there in the office. Giving a patient an ibuprofen at the time of service could help the patient find faster relief from pain.

For a person with arthritis or migraines, being able to have immediate treatment will be greatly appreciated.

It is also a terrific way to provide a quick, harmless service while increasing service charges. Patient satisfaction and dispensing revenue increases.

Add Medical Professional Staff

Adding Nurse Practitioners to your staff can be a terrific way to bring in more money to your practice. They can do everything you can do, with your approval, and you can make a profit from their services while still paying them a large fee.

If a nurse practitioner is compliant with all state laws, they are perfectly capable of assessing, diagnosing, prescribing and dispensing.

Adding medical staff allows you to increase your patient roster without you working longer hours. It can bring in thousands of extra dollars in dispensing revenue and office visits a year. You are providing employment, great care to patients and are doing so without any extra stress.

Having a nurse practitioner on staff prevents waiting lists for patients who need to be evaluated. They also know how to communicate with insurance companies and can prescribe and dispense medicines at the point of care, just like you.

Before starting any ancillary services, check with your State’s pharmacy and Board regulations to ensure you follow proper procedures in establishing the services.

One of the best moves you can make is to work with a dispensing company who not only provides the prepackaged medication, but also provides the software technology that makes the entire dispensing process simple and effective.

Working with a dispensing company makes providing services such as these easy to learn and transition into so that your patients benefit the most.

Why You Can’t Afford to NOT Dispense In-Office

February 27, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, in-office dispensingproficient

In-office dispensing is becoming very popular among physicians across the nation. This is because dispensing at the point of care can help you meet both your personal and professional goals. In this day in age, you can’t afford to NOT dispense in-office.

Want to get out of debt? In-office dispensing gives you extra money you can apply towards debt reduction and elimination. Want to retain patients who are satisfied and tell all their friends and families you are the best? Dispensing can help with that.

Below are some of the reasons discussed in more detail as to why you can’t afford to not dispense in-office, for yourself and for your patients.

Easy Money

Some reports claim adding a program to dispense in-office can bring between $50,000 to $200,000 extra each year. Both numbers make it worth the effort.

This basically means you can see the same number of patients, for the same amount of time, but increase your revenue per patient.

Patients are eager to trade a few more dollars for prescriptions, supplies and equipment that saves them hours of time they would have spent at a pharmacy. And it is not with every prescription that they would need to pay more. On many, you will be able to save them money.

Saves Money

The cost of medicines can be more affordable when dispensed in-office. This is because you can search and find your patients the best deal, making this service very popular.

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 when you dispense in-office.

The Technology Saves Time

A software specialist will guide you and your staff through the straightforward steps involving claim submission, inventory, patient information and much more.

Choosing the right software program is the most important part of beginning the process of introducing point of care medication provider. The right company, with the right technology, will streamline your business so much that you will find yourself saving time and money as you dispense in-office.

Retains Patient & Dispense In-Office

When you provide private, quick, on-site prescription services to patients, you are likely retaining your patients and giving them reasons not to leave your practice for another. Patient retention means your career is secure and stable.

Patients may benefit the most by being able to access their medicines in a shorter amount of time. Some of your patients must arrange for transportation, often a difficult and sometimes costly task. Setting up a way to dispense in-office will eliminate this barrier.

Your patients will feel more comfortable talking to a staff they already know, not a stranger at the pharmacy. They will be more likely to ask questions and reveal if they are having any issues with their medicines.

Leads to Other Ancillary Services

Adding a service such as this leads you to add even more ancillary services down the road. Retail is one of the largest ancillary services that offers the greatest returns. Just like ophthalmologists sell eye glasses in their office, you can sell medical products.

There are hundreds of products to help treat multiple medical problems. Choose the products your patients need the most. Or, you can offer ancillary procedures to make more capital.

You can even hire Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants as ancillary services in addition to your dispense in-office program.

Helps Your Staff

Your staff members are extremely busy. In-office dispensing and the software to run the process makes all your staff’s duties more efficient. They spend less time faxing and emailing information to pharmacists and insurance companies.

The representative from the company you chose can train you and your staff in less than an hour. They can teach you everything from how to log into the system to how to re-order prescription stock.

They can provide in-office training and online training, whichever suits your practice. Because using the system is so easy, training is easy. Your office is most likely using software now that is more challenging that in-office dispensing software.

Even the least technical staff will be able to easily adapt and learn this system. But even if your staff has difficulties, they are provided with round the clock technical support from the dispensing company too.

Is Safer for Your Patients

Pharmacies are fallible, just like everything and everyone else. Unfortunately, when a pharmacy makes a mistake, it can mean danger for a patient.

One study examined 142,000 medications prescribed by hospital pharmacies. Of those, 3.6 percent contained errors. And 24 percent of those errors would have caused adverse effects.

Because some medicines are similar in shape, color and size, pharmacists confuse one drug for the other.Not only is dispensing the wrong drug a problembut dispensing the wrong dosage of the right medicine.

Pharmacists make mistakes when it comes to delivering the wrong dose of medication to patients.

Think about all the goals you want to reach in your medical practice. It won’t be hard to recognize how deciding to dispense in-office to your patients can help you reach those goals. It’s easy to set up, easy to implement and easy to maintain.

In-office dispensing is rewarding for everyone involved.

Prepackaged Medication Makes For Easy Medication Dispensing

February 21, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, in-office dispensing, prepackaged medicationproficient

There is a single reason why doctors across the nation are choosing to easy medication dispensing of prepackaged medications at the point of care. It makes dispensing quick and effective.

If you are a physician who wants easy medication dispensing out of office, you will benefit from prepackaged medications the most. You no longer need to be the one to do all the demanding work.

Prepackaged medications are ordered from an office dispensing company, who after receiving medicines from the manufacturer, use extreme safety measure to properly package medications.

With prepackaged medications, you only order and pay for medicines you need, no extras. The medicines are separated and labeled for easy use. Using prepackaged medications helps you and your staff provide the best care possible as part of an easy medication dispensing program.

Easy Medication Dispensing Processes

Prepackaged medications can be streamlined for quick delivery because there is no compounding, mixing, or sorting that needs to be completed by you. The medicines are prepared, shipped to you and readily available before the patients even need them.

You and your staff simply enter the prescription information into the computer. Next you print the label, retrieve the prepackaged medicine from the locked cabinet, adhere the label and deliver package to your patient.

Just a few steps to complete the entire easy medication dispensing process, improving operations in your practice.

Simple Dosing

Prepackaged medication comes in individual doses. This means you and your patients do not have to worry about medication errors such as underuse or overuse. When patients overuse their medicine, it creates a concern that they will run out of medicine they need before their next refill date.

Or worse, they could overdose, experiencing negative reactions.

With prepackaged medications as part of your easy medication dispensing program, the patient can get the correct information on doses directly from you. Accidental overuse is not an issue, making this process safer for the patient as well.

Simple Storage

Prepackaging companies can provide everything a physician needs to properly store and distribute medicines to their patients. Doctors are given lock storage boxes that protect the medicines until it is time to distribute.

In addition, prepacking companies can offer temperature-controlled storage containers to physicians who need to keep some medicines cold and others at room temperature.

Temperature is very important in keeping medications, avoiding loss of effectiveness before normal expiration. As a physician, you want the medicines you prescribe to do exactly what you tell your patients they will do.

If medication is not stored properly, you may be giving a patient medication that won’t live up to its potential.

Simple Claims Processing

One of the most dreaded activities in your office may be dealing with insurance companies. Depending on the insurance company, claims processing can be arduous.

Using prepackaged medication software, your staff no longer needs to call insurance companies and billing departments only to be put on hold. There are no more faxing reports back and forth between your office and a claims department.

With web-based portals, your billing staff has the capability of sending claims with the simple click of a button. This is so because the software system is set up with a direct link to every insurance company’s claims submission portal for easy medication dispensing.

Easy medication dispensing software is also known for its capabilities to handle workman’s compensation billing and communications. This takes a lot of work away from the staff, so they can focus on caring for the patient.

The connection between these two portals makes it easy for you, your staff, and even for the insurance company.

Simple to Re-Order Supplies

When you are running low on medicines, durable medical supplies and durable medical equipment, you simply place a reorder through the in-office dispensing software.

Durable medical supplies are items that help a patient care for themselves but are disposed of once used. Examples of supplies include blood sugar testing strips for diabetics. Durable medical supplies can also include disposable gloves that a patient or caregiver may wear during a daily treatment.

Supplies can also include bandages, catheter equipment, needles for injections and diapers. If it is used once and then thrown away, it is considered a durable medical supply.

Durable medical equipment is prescribed for long-term use to help those in recovery from an illness or injury. In the case of the elderly, the durable medical equipment may be prescribed for an infinite amount of time.

The dispensing company you choose receives and processes your re-order of any medicines, supplies or equipment. Within days, your inventory is re-stocked.

Simple Labeling

Correct labeling is important in all medication production, especially prepackaged. The label, even though small, contains a large amount of information. Prepackaging facilities know just how vital this information can be.

Name of the physician, brand name of the drug, and patient name are three pieces of information on a label. Other pieces include drug expiration date, safety warnings such as “may cause drowsiness”, and instructions on how to take the medicine.

Some medicines need to be taken with food, while others need to be taken on an empty stomach. Having these instructions available can determine the effectiveness of the medicine.

Prepackaged medication labels will also note if refills are available and if so, how many. It will have contact information for the doctor and an account number or serial number that can be traced back to the prescription ordered.

The label is easily printed from the prepackaged software. Once printed, all you need to do is adhere it to the filled prescription.

The best thing about using prepackaged medication is that it makes it simple for you to make more money without much more effort. And while your revenue increases, so will patient satisfaction. Your patients will appreciate being able to receive prepackaged medications in your office.

This saves them both time and money. And because prepackaged medication makes total compliance a reality, overall patient health outcomes will improve. This means you are helping patients live an improved lifestyle, which is the reason you are a physician in the first place.

Prepackaged medications can help you and your patients achieve success.

Providing Better Care with Doctor Dispensing

February 6, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, direct medication dispensing, dispense in officeproficient

As a doctor, it’s hard to know what is going on with your patients when they are not in your care. Most of the time, they leave your office and you aren’t sure whether they are following through with their treatment plan. Doctor dispensing changes the game, allowing you to keep better tabs on your patient’s health and therefore, providing better care.

Below are some of the ways doctor dispensing allows you and your patients to collaborate better to achieve better health.

Improved Education

Gaining knowledge about the medicine you have prescribed should be done at the pharmacy. However, your patients rarely receive quality education from a pharmacist. There are several reasons patients do not seek education from a pharmacist about their medication.

One reason is that patients do not ask for education. They blindly trust that you know what is best for them.

Both patients and pharmacists are in a hurry. Patients tell themselves they will read the brochure or google information when they get home. Also, patients notice the pharmacist is busy. They ask patients if they have questions or need education, but you can see in their eyes they really do not have the time.

Furthermore, patients get embarrassed. They do not want all the other patients waiting in line to hear what medicines they are on and how to use them.

With doctor dispensing, patients can receive demonstrations and assistance in learning how to use medications directly from you, their care provider.

Doctor Dispensing Cleanliness

If the medicine you prescribe for a patient is dirty, it can negatively affect your patient. You want the medicines you prescribe to be created in a healthy environment.

A clean room is defined as the space used to contain an area that needs to be free of particles that could potentially contaminate a product. They are also used to control temperature and pressure.

Cross-contamination can happen at pharmacies. People do not realize this, but medicines can be handled by pharmacy technicians and pharmacists that can pass germs to their medicines. While many pharmaceutical staff wear gloves, they do not change gloves often.

Germs and bacteria can travel a distance through sneezing and coughing. These germs can land on the preparation table where staff are working, where medicines are placed.

Prepackaged medications used with in-office dispensing prevent germs from getting onto medicines. The prepackaging companies have state of the art equipment that must pass federal and state laws surrounding cleanliness.

Patient Follow Through

You may not be able to force your patients to take their prescriptions, but you can make it easier for them. An in-office dispensing system eliminates the excuse of not being able to get to the pharmacy.

Doctor dispensing also allows you the opportunity to check their files to see if they are keeping up with refills. If they have never called in for a refill, they are most likely not taking their medicines.

This gives you a chance to contact the patient before their next appointment to find out why they are not taking their medications.

When you show you care by providing on-site prescriptions and status checkup calls, you are encouraging patients to follow through.

Immediate Relief

You can administer a first dose to patients in your office. Educating and ensuring patients know how to administer a drug to themselves.

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 too 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.

Being able to help your patients immediately, can lead to their higher compliance rates and overall better health.

Using Nurse Practitioners

You cannot be with every patient. You do your best to see everyone scheduled but it is impossible to provide quality care in just a few minutes of consultation.

Nurse practitioners can help you provide better care. Nurse Practitioners can and are perfectly capable of providing a variety of services. If you have a Nurse Practitioner on staff in your practice, you can double the number of patients you see. This means you can serve more people and increase the revenue flow to your business.

The role of a Nurse Practitioner today is extensive and valuable. More than ever before, seeking a career as a Nurse Practitioner is popular among both men and women.

They are your right-hand man or woman, without needing to be right there with you always.

The use of a Nurse Practitioner for Drug Dispensing is both smart and efficient for your practice, offering higher quality of care because you can both spend more time with the patient.

Doctor dispensing helps you stand out from other physicians, showing just how much you care about your patients.

Dispensing Requirements For Dispensing In Office

January 31, 2018Blogdirect dispensing, direct medication dispensing, dispense in officeproficient

There are quite a few dispensing requirements you need to meet before dispensing medicine at your point of care. All these requirements are worth the effort, which is minimal in most cases.

Below are the dispensing requirements you should focus on when setting up your practice as an in-office dispensary.

Pharmacy Board Application and Approval

Pharmacy board regulations will vary from state to state. However, they each have similar processes. Many times, physicians are held to less requirements than pharmacists are when it comes to setting up a point of care delivery system.

Registering with your pharmacy board will require you show evidence of your license and any examinations necessary to practice medicine in your state.

Dispensing Requirements at the State Level

Applications for physicians to dispense medications at point of care will vary by state. However, each application will ask related questions about your qualifications and intentions.

You will be asked to identify the specific medications you plan to dispense. You will also be asked basic questions about where and how the medications will be dispensed.

More specific questions may focus on whether the patient has access to a pharmacy or if it is difficult for them to obtain medications. The more conveniences you can provide for your patient, the more likely your application will be received.

Common regulations among States include the following:

State issued controlled substance dispensing license is required for those of you who wish to dispense Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) scheduled drugs.
Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant credentials updated and legal if you plan to allow them to dispense medications.
Your State issued dispensing license, if required, which it is in many States.

In addition to meeting these dispensing requirements, many States require you meet the Pharmacy Board regulations also.

Controlled Substances Requirements

The Drug Enforcement Administration makes it clear that when you dispense a narcotic of any kind, it must be for a legitimate medical reason. You must make sure it meets all the regulations showing it is valid. In addition, you must verify all information on the drug to make sure it corresponds with the patient.

This means you must verify the patients name, dosage, drug being prescribed, strength and quantity before you give it to your patient as part of their dispensing requirements.

Every few years you must register with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispense controlled substances.

Current State License and DEA Number

Your DEA number allows you to write prescriptions that are considered controlled substances by the government. Controlled substances are ranked and put into five categories. A DEA number allows your prescriptions to be tracked and reported in case of negligent practices.

If you do not already have a DEA number, you can simply apply online using form 224. This is the application for controlled substances registration. You cannot dispense controlled substances without this approval.

You will be expected to give personal information as well as background history. If you do not supply this information, you will not be allowed to register.

Your DEA number does not allow you to dispense medications that treat narcotics addictions. That is a totally separate application and registration process with different dispensing requirements.

Ability to Help Workman’s Compensation Patients Easily

Once you determine your workman’s compensation needs, whether medicine or equipment, you file claims for the patients whose insurance requires it.

There are times when insurance companies require the patient to pay for the equipment up front and be reimbursed for all the costs, or partial costs.

You can acquire the assistance of specialists who provide the equipment for you. They can also assist with the claims and offer many benefits that ease your workload. These companies are like those who specialize in medication dispensing.

Instead of dispensing medications, however, they are dispensing durable medical equipment.

Good Software Program

In-office dispensing software can prevent errors with medicine.

But before you commit to any system software program, check references. Get feedback from other users of the software program. You want honest feedback, not just reviews that are positive.

The key is that you are told about possible glitches before you purchase. This shows honesty from the software company. It can also show you a willingness on their part to fix all problems that arise.

If your computer program is crashing every time you try to prescribe and fill a medicine, you will get frustrated. And so will your staff and patients. Finding a software program that is reliable is one of the most important tasks.

In times where software crashes are unavoidable, you need technical support. The company you choose should provide support to you at free or low-cost services. The tech support staff should also be readily accessible to you during the time of the crisis.

Most quality software companies have around the clock services. You do not have the time to work with the software, your patients need you more. Finding a software program that comes with expert support is necessary for your practice.

Be the Good Doctor

The World Health Organization defines good dispensing practices as the way you provide medicine to your patients. Using good practices, you give the right patient the correct medication. The medication is labeled correctly, with all accurate data, including clear instructions for the patient to follow.

From the time you write a prescription until the time the medicine is given to the patient; all the actions in between can determine if your practices are good or bad.

There are a few things you can do to ensure this entire process is consistently successful. You can regularly take part in safety checks with your staff. Provide training that keeps you and your staff updated on changes to laws, regulations, and dispensing requirements.

Working with an in-office dispensing company is the best way for you to ensure you are compliant and running your practice properly. They do most of the work, allowing you to focus on caring for your patients.