Beyond lick, stick and pour
Providing a host of clinical services is no longer a pipedream for pharmacists.
To be sure, the days of lick, stick and pour are long gone. Pharmacists have rightfully assumed a pivotal clinical role, which includes medication management for patients with chronic conditions, providing “test and treat” services and immunizations, conducting health screenings, dispensing medications and forming collaborative agreements with providers.
[Read more: Reviving the Human Touch in Automation]
How can they juggle these demands while also filling an increased volume of prescriptions when their time is so precious?
Enter pharmacy technology and automation companies who are stepping up to ensure that pharmacies are operating efficiently and free to provide patient-facing clinical services.
[Watch DSN: A conversation with iA CEO Tom Utech]
CoverMyMeds is helping pharmacists increase efficiency and improve workflow with its automated pharmacy dispensing solutions that integrate with pharmacy management systems.
Austin Sacks, senior director of product management at CoverMyMeds, said these solutions save time, minimize mistakes and enable pharmacists to help solve medication access and affordability challenges for patients.
Sacks noted that labor shortages, complex government regulations, time-consuming manual processes and growing patient expectations are among the challenges facing pharmacies today. “Using software and technology to automate and streamline administrative tasks leaves pharmacists with time to focus on meaningful patient interactions, allowing them to provide the improved care and experience both patients and pharmacists seek.”
To that end, CoverMyMeds’ solutions also can help with front-end and back-end operations, including claims processing, fulfillment and reimbursement.
"Our pharmacy automation and central fill solutions help pharmacies of all sizes rapidly and accurately dispense prescriptions while cutting costs and improving efficiency,” Sacks said.
Enhancing pharmacies’ workflow also is the focus of Charlotte, N.C.-based Emporos, whose suite of pharmacy commerce solutions streamlines pharmacy workflows for technicians, pharmacy management, IT teams, finance teams and patients.
Emporos’ products include retail point- of-sale, mobile POS, integrated payments, text-to-pay, lighted will call, inventory management and mail out. Pointing out that pharmacies’ numerous responsibilities and challenges include collecting payments, managing and fulfilling inventory, providing immunizations and supporting delivery efforts, Eric Kristensen, CEO at Emporos, said,
“We help retail pharmacies improve efficiencies by moving the operational and administrative tasks from the staff onto the patient while increasing safety, security and compliance. We boost revenue by enabling the pharmacy staff to spend more time with patients, work at the top of their licenses, support patient outcomes and expand their offerings beyond the checkout counter. We fill holes for other systems and connect payments and clinical workflows seamlessly to create end to end experiences with a variety of pharmacy management systems and technology partners.”
Streamlining workflow and improving efficiency so that pharmacists can engage
with patients also is the bailiwick of EnlivenHealth.
“EnlivenHealth has developed software solutions designed to improve pharmacy efficiency, free up time for clinical services, streamline clinical workflows and keep pharmacists informed about their service expansion options,” said Jason Ausili, head of pharmacy transformation at EnlivenHealth.
EnlivenHealth’s offerings include Personalized IVR, which takes automated phone answering to the next level by recognizing a patient’s phone number when they call in and offering options tailored to them, including refilling prescriptions without the need to locate or remember prescription numbers.
EnlivenHealth’s Digital Medication Information Delivery, transforms the paper- based drug monograph into a digital patient experience, making a patient’s medication information more accessible while also reducing follow-up calls to the pharmacy.
If that weren’t enough, Amplicare Clinical Solution automates and streamlines many of the administrative tasks associated with clinical care, leaving pharmacists with more time to focus on their patients. “With ACS, pharmacists can deploy an appointment scheduler, clinical documentation, medical billing and automated patient outreach campaigns,” Ausili said.
Lastly, Scope of Practice & Reimbursement Snapshot allows pharmacies to find up-to-date information about what clinical services they are authorized to provide in their state, as well as reimbursement expectations, billing codes and enrollment details.
XiFin Pharmacy Solutions is not standing on the sidelines when it comes to enhancing pharmacies’ efficiencies.
XiFin provides a comprehensive portfolio of software designed to strengthen financial stability and streamline workflows.
“With more than 25 years of industry experience, XiFin combines unique market insights and pharmacy workflow expertise to deliver solutions that address the complex needs of modern pharmacies. Our software suite includes medical billing, enterprise revenue cycle management, clinical documentation and workflow enablement, as well as patient communication tools, all of which automate time-consuming processes and reduce administrative burdens,” said Sandra Greefkes, vice president of product and partner marketing at XiFin.
One of XiFin’s standout features is its smart clinical messaging capability, which identifies immunization directly within the pharmacist’s workflow.
“This proactive approach drives value by enabling pharmacies to offer additional services without disrupting daily operations. Serving over 30,000 pharmacies and connecting to hundreds of payers, XiFin ensures seamless interactions across the healthcare ecosystem, enhancing efficiency and patient care,” Greefkes said.
iA is on the cutting edge with central fill technology that frees pharmacists from manual tasks so they can interact with patients.
Noting that the company has more than 30 years of experience, Tom Utech, CEO at iA said, “iA provides an integrated platform of capabilities to support centralized, community and shared central pharmacy fulfillment solutions.”
iA’s NEXiA Enterprise Software Suite serves as the backbone of iA’s pharmacy fulfillment platform, managing the inventory and fulfillment from prescription acceptance to delivery.
“The software integrates seamlessly with iA's advanced robotics and third-party systems to automate and streamline the prescription filling process,” Utech said. “The iA solutions are designed to grow with our customers, allowing pharmacies to adjust their operations as their business grows or demand fluctuates, helping them to meet patient needs promptly and reliably.”
Alongside the necessity in improving pharmacy efficiency has come heightened pressure on pharmacies to attain better patient outcomes and to ensure medication adherence. That’s where packaging solutions come in.
The pursuit of pharmacy efficiency has brought heightened pressure on pharmacies to attain better patient outcomes and to ensure medication adherence. That’s where packaging solutions come in.
Jones Healthcare Group has spent more than a century responding to pharmacy needs pioneering a range of medication adherence packaging options tailored to optimize pharmacy operations and enable care facilities to better support their patient population.
“Pharmacies are embracing automation to streamline the preparation of single-dose blister packs for patients and care providers,” said Sead Ferhatovic, director of market strategy and business development at Jones Healthcare Group.
Ferhatovic explained that through workflow upgrades and minimized dispensing errors, the shift to automation allows pharmacists to operate at the top of their license and spend less time on activities related to drug distribution. “To avoid workflow bottlenecks and maintain gained efficiencies, it’s crucial to select blister packs designed specifically for automation,” Ferhatovic said.
“FlexRx One redefines medication adherence packaging, offering pharmacies and long-term care facilities a superior solution for efficient, accurate and sustainable medication dispensing,” Ferhatovic said.
Beyond the need to ensure medication adherence, pharmacies are being challenged to improve health outcomes and quality performance metrics.
PQS by Innovaccer is connecting pharmacies with payers and offering retail pharmacies a transformative solution to enhance patient care and boost their business performance. Through the innovative EQUIPP platform, PQS seamlessly connects pharmacies with payers, creating a powerful network that optimizes medication management and addresses care gaps.
Todd Sega, managing director of pharmacy at PQS by Innovaccer, said that this offering translates into streamlined operations and increased revenue opportunities. “The EQUIPP platform provides actionable insights, enabling pharmacists to make data-driven decisions to deliver more effective patient care, improving health outcomes and enhancing the pharmacy's quality performance metrics,” Sega said.
“This value-added service positions retail pharmacies as integral players in the healthcare continuum, elevating their role beyond traditional medication dispensing,” Sega said. “By bridging the gap between payers and pharmacies, PQS empowers retailers to optimize their healthcare service delivery, improve patient outcomes and ultimately, strengthen their competitive position in the evolving healthcare landscape.”
Preventing medication errors is a serious concern for every retail pharmacy. ScriptPro provides automation and packaging technologies that eliminate worries about medication dispensing errors.
Emphasizing that retail pharmacies are navigating unprecedented challenges, including rising labor costs and shrinking margins due to lower reimbursement rates and higher fees from insurance companies, Darin Gleason, sales director of U.S. chain and retail at ScriptPro said that ScriptPro’s broad product depth offers a way to combat these difficulties using automation and packaging technologies. Gleason pointed out that automation is not only safer because it virtually eliminates drug dispensing errors, it also is more cost-effective than traditional labor-intensive methods.
ScriptPro’s robotics, including the CRS and MP series, offer pharmacies scalable options for vial and pouch packaging. “With more than 25 years of experience, ScriptPro tailors its vial-filling and packaging solutions to match the unique needs of each pharmacy. Additionally, ScriptPro’s commitment to long-term partnerships and investment protection stands out in the market. ScriptPro’s solutions are built for longevity, enabling pharmacies to avoid costly reinvestments,” Gleason said.
Despite pharmacists’ best efforts, there simply are not enough hours in the day for pharmacists to increase their interactions and engagement with patients using legacy technology.
That’s where MedAdvisor Solutions comes in. They’re leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to redefine how pharmacists engage with patients.
The company’s Medication Advisor provides 24/7 multilingual support to patients, allowing them to connect and engage in personalized conversations with an AI-enabled assistant about their medication and health related questions. By utilizing the interactive advisor, pharmacies can elevate adherence, awareness and education programs.
“One important way this solution supports pharmacies and their patients is through vaccination education and appointment scheduling,” said Patrick Hawthorne, senior vice president of pharmacy network development at MedAdvisor Solutions.“Delivering credible and relevant vaccine information alleviates patient concerns and streamlines the vaccination process. This frees pharmacists to focus on more urgent patient interactions.”
When it comes to supporting independent pharmacies, Cardinal Health is a major player.
“Independent pharmacies have become go-to healthcare destinations in their communities by offering their patients valuable clinical services,” said Michelle Britt, senior vice president of retail independent sales for Cardinal Health. “Through our Cardinal Health point-of-care testing solutions, we are helping pharmacies offer their patients a convenient, accessible solution for rapid diagnostic testing and wellness screenings that not only provides better patient care but also adds an additional revenue stream to help increase their profitability.”
Improving safety, access and affordability is Inmar Intelligence’s focus and expertise.
“From pharmacy automation to regulatory challenges and financial pressures, Inmar Intelligence lifts the burden with solutions that provide better outcomes for organizations, staff, patients and the environment. As a partner to healthcare organizations for over 40 years, we design and operate dynamic solutions that connect systems, data and insights,” said Lari Harding, senior vice president, healthcare marketing and sales enablement at Inmar Intelligence.
Inmar Intelligence’s OneRecall tool provides recall alerts up to 27 days faster than traditional sources, facilitating prompt action. “With a documented audit trail for regulators, we minimize compliance risks while ensuring patient safety. Our connector to RxTransparent enables 1:1 product matching on purchases, reducing alert fatigue and expediting removal,” Harding said.
What’s more, Inmar Intelligence's Revenue Cycle Management suite offers visibility into reconciliation and performance analytics. This automation helps recover revenue while managing accounting functions efficiently.
Lastly, automated Rx Returns solutions streamline returns processes and optimize credit recovery to contend with rising drug costs and evolving regulations. This includes its Hazardous Pharmaceutical Returns Management solution, which is continuously updated with hazardous drugs and required actions.