How Direct Dispensing Benefits Patients?
Physicians and other healthcare professionals hope that direct dispensing will give them the tools they need to help patients receive better treatment by providing them with a more convenient manner of acquiring and obtaining medication. If available in your state, this kind of in-house or point-of-care dispensing can be an effective strategy to deal with the potentially life-threatening problem of patient non-adherence.
No matter what the reason, patients who do not follow to their treatment plan or drug regimen are said to be non-compliant. Direct physician dispensing addresses several of the issues that contribute to patient non-compliance in part or in full. Because of this, it's in the best interest of patients when their doctors are equipped to deal with many of the issues that lead to non-adherence.
It is Possible to Save Money by Using Direct Dispensing
Direct dispensing has its detractors because it fails to address the most pressing issue: the high cost of pharmaceuticals. As prescription costs continue to rise, patients are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with their treatment regimens. Simply put, it's becoming prohibitively expensive for them to stay on their medication regimens.
However, if you take the right strategy and price your drug appropriately, you can save your patients money over going to the local pharmacy. In addition to saving time, getting medication at the point of treatment also saves money, both in terms of transportation to a pharmacy and the medication's price.
For the most part, big-box pharmacies can't compete with their low rates because they sell so many generic medications for free or for a few cents each tablet. However, there are situations in which doctors can provide higher financial value to their clients by cutting them a better bargain.
This is determined by the doctor's drug source and the patient's insurance coverage. Patients without insurance, for example, can often acquire cheaper medication from physicians who buy medication wholesale for direct dispensing rather than pharmacies, thanks to discounts on medication. Uninsured people typically pay a higher premium. It's possible that direct dispensing will result in lower prices sooner rather than later.
Directly dispensing medication to your patients can help battle non-adherence by allowing patients the ability to talk to their doctors about the cost of medications and determine the best method from a financial standpoint, even if circumstances are different for each patient.
Faster Dispensing Thanks To Direct Delivery
Patients can lose valuable time at work or with their families while waiting in lines at the pharmacy or travelling to get their prescription filled. Patients are frequently required to go to a pharmacy while they are ill in order to pick up their medication, putting their health and the health of others at risk.
Allowing patients to choose to bypass the entire experience and receive their prescription directly from their primary care provider can save them a significant amount of time while also helping them avoid a significant inconvenience.
Controls Patient Education with the Help of This Tool
Pharmacists undergo extensive training to understand and explain the wide range of drugs and medications available today, helping patients distinguish between brand-name and generic drugs, explaining why some substances require a prescription while others do not despite having similar therapeutic effects, and helping them avoid medications that may react negatively, using a virtual system to help patients avoid picking up medication that has an impact on their heart rate or blood pressure.
It's important job, but mistakes can be made and some patients prefer not to receive a comprehensive and extensive drug instruction when at a crowded pharmacy. When there are sick and hurried people in the room, it's hard to focus on the directions of the pharmacist.
If a patient sees a doctor, they can get a full explanation of how their prescription works and when and why to take it, all in one sitting. They can assist the patient in learning about possible side effects and adverse reactions that should be reported to the doctor, and they can take the time to verify that the patient is not taking any other medications that could be a contraindication.
Direct Dispensing Offers More Privacy than Any Other Method
It's not uncommon for patients to want complete privacy when it comes to their health. They are really concerned about maintaining their privacy. However, obtaining medication from a pharmacist in a crowded pharmacy can make it difficult to keep one's ailment a secret. While waiting in line, you can't help but hear what other customers are purchasing, which is both unnerving and alarming.
Dispensing directly into the patient's vein ensures complete privacy. To prevent being overheard, patients should feel free to listen attentively to what their doctor has to say and purchase medication without feeling rushed. If they don't want to, they can prevent mistakenly disclosing the medications they take by using direct distribution.
Improved Results with Direct Dispensing
Direct dispensing offers patients an alternative, which is the bottom line. You're not directly competing with pharmacies or seeking to drive them out of business if you choose to dispense medication at the point of care. It goes without saying that you are in the business of treating and caring for people.
It's best to start direct physician dispensing so your patients have more options when deciding where to buy their prescription, and depending on your pricing, you may frequently save your patients time and money while also making their treatment more financially practical. Contact us at PD-RX Pharmaceuticals in OKC to include dispensing in your medical business now.
**Disclaimer: The information on this page is not intended to be a doctor's advice, nor does it create any form of patient-doctor relationship.