How Technology has Improved Pharmacies
Pharmacies have grown in size in recent years, and as more people trust pharmacists to fill their prescriptions correctly and efficiently, pharmacies must find a way to continue to offer superior customer support. By integrating a system that streamlines a pharmacy’s activity, Rx customer support can be easily maintained.
What is a Pharmacy Management System?
A pharmacy management system, also known as a PMS, is necessary to keep a pharmacy functioning smoothly. This system is typically an independent technology that can store data on patients, organize files and track medications. While every company has different options for its management system, most include the following features:
- Automatic Prescription Refills
- Automatic Patient Information
- Electronic Prescriptions
- Drug Inventory Management
- IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Call Technology
How Do Pharmacy Management Systems Increase Efficiency?
The technology used replaces a lot of tasks that once had to be completed by the pharmacist or technician. Electronic prescriptions can now be transmitted between a hospital and a pharmacy with the click of a button, decreasing the amount of time both employees must spend on a phone. Automatic refill systems can alert a pharmacy when a patient’s prescription is low, and it will automatically add it to the medications that need to be filled for the day. Drug inventory management can keep track of the number of medications dispensed, the amount on hand, and the amount to be ordered without a technician having to count pills by hand. The IVR technology allows phone calls to be directed more efficiently for patients, allowing the pharmacist to spend more time with the clients who are standing in front of them with questions.
What are the Benefits for Patients?
While efficiency is an important part, customer care in the form of dispensing medication safely is the top priority. Most management systems will prompt a pharmacist to verify certain information before filling a prescription. These safety checks can include verifying patient identifying information like name and birth date, the drug quantity, and any prescription label information. These checks decrease mistakes that can lead to client complaints.
Since less time is spent on the phone, tracking drug inventory, or managing paperwork, the pharmacy staff can give more time to a patient’s questions about their medications. By having more time to listen, patients will have a more pleasant experience and are more apt to become loyal pharmacy customers.
By providing superior pharmacy customer support, a business can ensure patient safety, compliance, and satisfaction.