Many rural hospitals and health organizations across the country face a singular set of struggles when providing care to their communities, particularly in regard to pharmacy management. The primary pain point is a lack of trained pharmacists willing to work in small and rural settings. This issue is compounded by budgetary constraints. However, without careful management, the lack of qualified personnel can lead to a rise in preventable adverse drug reactions (PADRs) among patients. That’s where Hospital Pharmacy Management (HPM) comes in. Our telepharmacy services can deliver comprehensive medication management to your healthcare organization. With our help, you can leverage the efficiency of your organization’s on-site pharmacists and physicians while receiving the 24-hour service of a certified pharmacist. Intriguing idea, we know. So, if you’re wondering how telepharmacy works, you’re in the right place. Today we’re going to discuss how it works, and how telepharmacy can help your organization.
What is Telepharmacy?
Telepharmacy functions very similarly to a traditional pharmacy setting. The primary difference being that the pharmacist reviews and verifies prescriptions from a remote location. A task that is handled via audio or computer links before medication is dispensed. Some of the services handled by a telepharmacy system are:
- Patient counseling
- Drug therapy monitoring
- Refill authorization
- Formulary compliance
- Prior authorization of prescribed drugs
How Telepharmacy Works
- A Prescription Arrives at the Pharmacy
Just like a traditional pharmacy, prescriptions arrive through your organization’s
pharmacy management system (PMS). The HPM’s telepharmacy software integrates
with your current PMS. This allows off-site certified pharmacists to verify and approve
medications prior to dispensing. By supplying provider organizations and health
systems with board-certified clinical pharmacists we can help your organization reduce
PADRs while delivering comprehensive medication management that optimizes patient
outcomes.
- A Pharmacist Verifies the Prescription
Before verifying a prescription, an off-site certified pharmacist can access the patient’s electronic health record (EHR) to screen for:
- Potential drug interactions
- Known drug allergies
- Pre-existing conditions
- Lab test and results
- Progress notes and any other health considerations
After the pharmacist reviews the patient’s information and the script, they can either
approve or reject the submission. If rejected, the pharmacist leaves notes for the
technician regarding the rejection. If approved, the technician is notified and the
medication is prepared for dispensing. Particularly in rural settings, securing 24-hour
pharmacy coverage can greatly improve the rate of PADR’s as well as relieve the strain
on nursing and other staff for medication management after hours.
- The Prescription is Filled
Once the prescription arrives at the pharmacy, it is prepared for dispensing after review
by the off-site pharmacist. With built-in redundancy checks, and HIPAA-compliant
security, filling a prescription using telepharmacy is often safer and more accurate than
traditional pharmacy practices. According to data from the U.S. Department of Health,
telepharmacies’ overall error rate is less than 1%. A 50% improvement over traditional
practices and half the national average
Hospital Pharmacy Management + You: A Partnership for Growth
At Hospital Pharmacy Management we provide services to hospitals, pharmacies and health care organizations that streamline workflow, improve the risk of PADR’s, save costs and improve the efficiency of your on-site pharmacists and physicians. Our innovative technology allows pharmacy owners to share pharmacists across multiple locations and provide convenient care to patients. Additionally, tele pharmacies can be operated in areas where a traditional pharmacy may not be financially feasible. Contact us today to see how we can help your health care organization.
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