Important Questions To Ask Before Beginning Physician Dispensing
While in-office medication dispensing can make prescribing medication easier, there are a few things to consider. Before any practice adopts a program for medication dispensing, they need to ask themselves practical questions about laws, staff, space, and patient flow. They also need to find a health services company that is experienced in medication dispensing to help implement the procedures.
The Benefits of In-Office Medication Dispensing
The benefits of dispensing medication in a medical practice are numerous. Complications, delays, and unnecessary middlemen can all be avoided when medication can be distributed directly from the doctor’s office to the patient.
Top 5 Benefits of In-Office Dispensing:
- Eliminate or reduce pharmacy calls — Office staff no longer need to call the pharmacy with prescription details. When errors arise through the pharmacy, the staff no longer needs to call back and forth to correct issues.
2. Make life easier for patients — Patients won’t need to leave the doctor’s office, call the pharmacy, find time to drive to the pharmacy, and then wait in long lines at the pharmacy.
3. Create more revenue for the practice — Pharmacies mark up prescriptions so they can make large profits off of patients. Dispensing medication in office allows physicians to make those profits and use them for their practice. Physicians can also sometimes make their mark-ups smaller to save their patients money.
4. Patients receive and understand their medicine — Nearly half of all prescriptions are either never filled, never picked up, or not taken properly by patients. Patient compliance can be improved when medication is directly given to them by their healthcare providers.
5. Develop stronger relationships between patients and physicians — Physicians who dispense medications in-office can talk to their patients directly about their medications. They also gain their patients’ trust by showing that they care enough to save them the hassle of the pharmacy.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Begin Dispensing Medications
Before any doctor’s office begins dispensing medication, there are several important questions they should ask. Speaking with staff, the local Board of Medicine, and colleagues can be helpful during this process. Most importantly, companies that provide medicine dispensing services are full of experts in this subject who have the answers to these questions.
1. Is In-Office Dispensing Legal in Your State?
Most states allow in-office dispensing. Very few states have strict laws for this practice. Most states either allow dispensing without a permit or require some sort of registration or permit. Some states charge a small fee.
Physicians can contact their local medical board for more information on local laws. Medication dispensing services companies also have detailed understanding of state dispensing laws and can help physicians understand complicated restrictions.
2. Do You Have Space to Dispense Medications?
Medication dispensing is like having a miniature pharmacy in the medical practice. Here are a few questions office managers and physicians can ask themselves before deciding to dispense medications: Where will you store the medications? Will your medication storage be secure? Do you need a separate pickup window? Will dispensing throw off the patient flow in the office?
3. What Medications Do You Need to Dispense?
Medical practices that dispense medication do not have every medication in stock. Physicians must determine which medications they prescribe the most often and how much of each of those they need to stock. The most commonly prescribed medications at any practice depend on the physician’s specialty.
How to Choose the Best Medication Dispensing Company to Work With
The best medication dispensing companies have long-term experience, great customer service, are available when you need them, and use the latest software and technology.
Navigating Local Laws
A great medication dispensing company should have expert knowledge on each state’s local laws related to physician dispensing. They should also help physicians apply for any permits they may need. The local medical board and board of pharmacy may both have some regulations for physician dispensing, and a good dispensing company will make sure their clients comply.
Stocking and Inventory
Physicians and their staff have the best knowledge of what their patients need, but a dispensing company is full of experts on stock and inventory. A medical practice needs to make sure they have enough medication for their patients without overstocking and wasting valuable medicine.
Software and Technology
Software is one of the most important elements of medication dispensing. Great software can help keep track of inventory and make sure each patient gets the correct quantity of medication. Most importantly, medication dispensing software needs to be user friendly so everyone in the office can easily be trained to use it.
Customer Service
Physicians should choose a company that is reliable, available, and efficient. Medical office staff need to be able to contact their dispensing company with any questions they may have. Issues should be sorted out quickly so that doctors can give the best care to their patients without delay.
