A quality pharmacy software system allows pharmacists to participate in and lead organizational process improvement initiatives. They have a unique knowledge base and expertise that can help reduce medication errors by optimizing systems and processes.
Critical redundancies, such as independent double checks of high-alert, look-alike, or sound-alike medications, are one way to reduce error. Another is implementing a quality improvement program that includes RCA to identify root causes and implement changes.
Integration with Electronic Health Records
Using a pharmacy software system eliminates potential processing errors, automates purchasing and reduces the time staff spend on manual tasks with features like point of sale (POS), image scanning and e-prescribing. Many systems also offer formulary checks, direct transmission of prescriptions to pharmacies and more. This can improve dispensing accuracy and reduce the number of pharmacists’ calls for clarification.
Pharmacy management systems (PMSs) often include an integrated point-of-sale, document management, inventory and a compounding tool. Adding features like advanced bin management, customizable prescription labels and advanced reporting can help pharmacies optimize their workflow and improve the patient experience.
PMSs can also help pharmacies keep up with supply chain issues. They can alert pharmacists when a specific product is in short supply and track expiry dates. In addition, some PMSs are built to communicate with wholesalers and distributors using EDI and API interfaces.
Automated Prescriptions
Medication errors are a major concern for hospitals and pharmacies alike. They can cause serious harm, including death, especially during dispensing. Research has shown that pharmacy automation can reduce these errors. This includes reducing the number of pills or medications dispensed to the wrong patient and ensuring the correct dose is given.
The automation features of a pharmacy software system also improve staff efficiency and productivity. By offloading repetitive, error-prone tasks to technology, pharmacists can focus on more profit-generating work like consultations, vaccinations and over-the-counter product consultative sales. Automated systems are even more helpful during busy times or when the pharmacy is short-staffed.
The pharmacy management system enables pharmaceutical teams to track supplier shipments and deliveries, preventing stockouts and overstocking. It can also help strategize supplier selection, identifying which ones deliver their medicines on time and in the right amount. In addition, the software can monitor how long treatments last in storage based on usage and spoilage rates to make ordering more efficient. This reduces inventory waste and optimizes storage space.
Automated Dispensing
Many pharmacies use automated drug dispensing (ADS) systems to ensure that correct doses of drugs are dispensed to the right patients during daily scheduled administration timings. Several different types of ADS exist, including centralized systems that have pharmacists in direct control of the system; decentralized systems where the pharmacist is distant from actual drug distribution and must ascertain that all steps are properly completed to minimize errors; and point-of-care systems that bring the pharmacist’s clinical expertise into the care process.
A good pharmacy software can also monitor supplier performance and make changes based on that performance. For example, suppose a particular supplier has a history of failing to meet target dates for delivery or overstocking medications. In that case, the pharmacy can choose not to order from them in the future or change their vendor relationship.
Other pharmacy software features that can improve adherence and patient satisfaction include ePrescription and Medication Synchronization. Using these services to send prescriptions directly to the pharmacy can eliminate the need for patients to go into the clinic or visit an office for their refill and increase convenience. HIPAA-compliant texting is another feature that more and more PMSs are building into their software, allowing pharmacies to communicate with patients via a secure channel without the risk of exposing patient health information.
Reporting
Pharmacy software systems offer advanced reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing frontline managers to make informed decisions. For example, a pharmacist may use a PMS to access information on adherence and other performance metrics that could help reduce the cost of medication.
Another feature that is a critical component of a PMS is a system that manages e-prescriptions and allows a patient to request a refill electronically. This eliminates the need to wait for the script to be delivered or for the pharmacist to call in the prescription to a mail-order company.
A pharmacy management system also helps with inventory by generating sales reports and arranging them in categories and products. This allows pharmacies to analyze their business and determine if they need to buy more or less inventory. This feature helps to save time and effort and avoids mistakes caused by manual processes. A centralized database also helps prevent data loss and ensures easy information retrieval.
Analytics
When it comes to ensuring medication safety, a pharmacy software system is the best tool for the job. However, not all designs are created equal. Learn about the top-ranked pharmacy systems and how they can improve your business.
A good pharmacy software system can also provide analytics capabilities to enhance patient care and boost profitability. This includes pharmacy workflow automation that reduces non-value-added activities like manual script processing. It also provides efficiency features like notifying patients their prescription is ready to pick up and automatic compound pricing based on ingredient costs.
Pharmacy analytics are useful for enhancing patient engagement and improving customer relationships. They can help pharmacies provide health wellness services and programs like monitoring blood sugar levels to support diabetic patients.
It can also be used to identify and report drug diversion. This is a major problem in the industry and can result in lethal consequences for some patients. A pharmacy management system can help detect diversion by tracking the sale of illegal drugs and checking for expired medications. This helps protect the health and well-being of consumers and the industry’s integrity.
