PHARMACY: AUTOMATION, DATA AND TECHNOLOGY
“Newer technologies, such as medication pouch packaging automation like ScriptPro’s MP 100, offer even more granular ways to improve adherence. Medication pouch packaging can be both a profitable business solution and an effective way to assist patients, particularly those with complex drug regimens.” Identifying adherence gaps is also increasingly important, Fitzmaurice said. “Leveraging data in documentation systems to identify nonadherent patients and to determine the root cause of nonadherence is indispensable in closing these gaps,” he said. “Clinical documentation software, such as ScriptPro’s APCS, have built-in mechanisms to determine the risk of nonadherence and reporting capabilities to intervene in cohorts of patients based on a variety of factors. This takes the guesswork out of the equation and allows pharmacists to focus on their highest-risk patients.”
EnlivenHealth Danny Sanchez, senior vice president and general manager of EnlivenHealth, said the pandemic highlighted the need for pharmacies to engage patients. “The challenge is that historical or the traditional methods of patient engagement are antiquated,” he said. “We need to lean on digital.” Pharmacists need clinical platforms to help them execute clinical activities more efficiently, which is where EnlivenHealth steps in, Sanchez said. The company’s patient-engagement platform is a clinical platform that looks at all the opportunities that are available for every patient that walks through the door, whether it’s a medication review or immunizations, for example. “The pharmacist, having that information at the tip of their fingers, is able to then offer that patient those clinical services that they weren’t able to do before,” Sanchez said. EnlivenHealth also seeks to provide innovation in ways that relieve overworked pharmacists of some of their more mundane tasks, such as answering phones. “If Jane Doe or John Doe is calling in and wants to refill their prescription, they should be able to talk to an automated
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system that can answer most of their questions, without having to punch in seven digits — they would be able to do it by voice,” Sanchez said. “That frees up the pharmacist to go and deal with those patients that are standing in front of them. That’s technology that we bring — it’s personalized communication and it’s conversational.” That same automated voice response system, which answers questions about their prescription, can then also suggest other clinical services, such as vaccinations.
KNAPP Brian Sullivan, senior systems sales manager of healthcare solutions at KNAPP, said the company continues to see retail pharmacy customers looking for ways to improve patient care through technology. This includes the onsite use of robotic storage and retrieval systems to automate the put away and dispensing of medications. “Systems like the KNAPP Apostore allow the automated induction of medications, recording and verification of DSCSA compliance, and FEFO dispensing to reduce the costs of expired medications,” he said. Most importantly, these dense storage units open space for other clinical activities, which allows pharmacists to work at the top of their licenses, Sullivan said. “The use of central fill and micro-fulfillment pharmacies continues to increase as well,” he said. “The ongoing challenge to reduce the cost of prescription fulfillment to offset DIR and GER fees is just one reason. Today, the pharmacy team members are harder to recruit and retain. Centralized filling of scripts allows the retail store to rightsize staffing and keep their team members engaged in higher level activities.” Patients embraced alternative approaches to receiving their medications and other items during the pandemic, Sullivan said. “Our pharmacy customers realize this and are changing how they offer to provide these solutions,” he said. “Whether via a 24/7 terminal that the patients can access at their convenience or home delivery or in store via digital display like KNAPP’s ApoScreen systems provide. The pandemic has been an accelerator of these technologies.” dsn
January 2022 DRUGSTORENEWS.COM
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