201205_CT_Sept_Oct_2012_Vol32_Num5

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discharged,” he says. But as important as this vision is in this setting, Tekancic is most impressed with the real benefits he sees mobile POS creating in adherence. “Our pharmacists are actually able to bring the patient the medication and complete the whole transaction at their bedside,” he notes. “We aren’t sending them away without their medications or expecting them to stop at the pharmacy on their way out. Compliance and adherence increase when you put the medications in the patient’s hands before they leave the emergency care center.” We’ve now heard about the benefits of bringing service to customers and patients via mobile devices in both retail and health-system settings. That the technology is equally important for pharmacies offering delivery services is demonstrated by AllCare Pharmacy, which has recently begun using DeliveryTrack from Integra to manage its extensive long-term care delivery operations. “Delivery is complex to manage,” says AllCare’s Stephen Carroll. “And one of the things we’ve had as a goal is automating the process. DeliveryTrack assists in this.” Carroll reports that AllCare is now able to push all of

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the data from its proprietary pharmacy COO system to AllCare Pharmacy a DeliveryArkadelphia, Ark. Track server, A long-term care which then (LTC) pharmacy with Carroll operations in Arkansas formulates serving nursing homes and assisted-living, routes that are residential-care, and mental-health facilities. Also has a network of 12 retail pharmacies available on and a correctional business under another mobile devices entity. Operates approximately 35 delivery provided to routes at any one time for the LTC each driver. business. “We set all of the key data requirements and routing protocols up ahead of time,” explains Carroll, “and this means that the drivers don’t need to make any decisions about this themselves. This gives us much more control over the delivery process.”

Stephen Carroll, Pharm.D., M.B.A.

But let’s get back to the ways in which mobile technology is increasing the quality of the interactions pharmacies have with their customers. In AllCare’s case, sending drivers out with DeliveryTrack devices allows continued on page 30


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