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Bringing physician medication dispensing into your practice is a good decision. The time and money saved on pharmacy callbacks alone will pay for the dispensary system itself within a few months, not to mention the extra income from selling the prescriptions at the point of care.

However, it requires more than just a software installation to truly make a dispensary an integral and successful part of a practice. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you get started with physician medication dispensing.

1) Hire an experienced pharmacy technician.

Although typically extra staff is not necessary, it would benefit the practice to have somebody with prescription drug experience and the prescription insurance knowledge. If somebody without this knowledge is manning your physician dispensing system, they need to learn about the prescription drug industry and insurance in addition to the dispensing system. For some people, this is an information overload, and can make the venture unsuccessful.

2) Make sure the entire staff is on board with the idea.

In order for a physician medication dispensing system to succeed, the entire staff needs to get behind the idea. They should all be encouraging patients to use the service. This step is crucial to physician dispensing taking hold in a practice. For more information about physician leadership in regards to physician dispensing, see this article.

3) Select a centralized location for the dispensary.

Don't put the dispensary in a corner somewhere, hidden behind a ficus and a shelf of magazines. In order to make it efficient and keep it at the forefront of patients' minds, the dispensary should be in a centralized location that's easily accessible by patients. Somewhere near the check-in or check-out would be ideal.

4) Have an office printer dedicated to prescriptions.

With a dedicated office printer, patients will be able to pick up written prescriptions in the dispensary. At this point, the person manning the dispensary can inform the patients of the physician dispensing service. This way, patients have a choice between getting their prescription filled at the office, or taking it to a retail pharmacy.

5) Keep customer service in mind at all times.

Get to know the patients by name and establish good relationships with them. When they discover they can get better, more convenient, and more personal care at the physician's office than at the pharmacy, they'll convert completely to physician dispensing.

It is also a good idea to use physician dispensing software that offers monthly call reports. These let the dispensary know when monthly refills are ready, so they can call the patients and remind them to come pick it up. Services like these are vital in ensuring the growth and success of physician dispensing in your clinic.

Ensure a smooth transition with a little planning

These tips will help make integrating physician medication dispensing into your practice a smooth, simple process. Offer your patients better service and eliminate the cost of pharmacy calls in one fell swoop. Implement physician medication dispensing today.

About the Author

Fielding pharmacy calls is a waste of both time and money for physicians' practices. To learn how to convert this cost to a profit center, visit Physicians Total Care online for a customized analysis of your practice and a free DVD.

Warren Moseley is president of Physicians Total Care, a Tulsa-based business whose software, the PTC9000, has helped numerous clinics and practices start physician dispensing. Visit them online at http://www.physicianstotalcare.com to get a free analysis of how physician dispensing could work at your practice.