We've been fielding questions about our new remote telepharmacy opening October 3rd in Bunker Hill, so it's time now for a little discussion about what a telepharmacy actually is.
According to the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, telepharmacies have been authorized in
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming and
the District of Columbia. In 2010, the Illinois legislature telepharmacy regulations were included in a rewrite of the state’s pharmacy laws that is done every decade. Economic conditions usually dictate the placement and numbers of independent pharmacies, often resulting in a loss of much needed services. Since some patients who might have to travel long distances on the day
they receive their prescriptions from their physicians, they may hold
off on filling those scrips until they can travel again to a town with a
pharmacy.
Enter the concept of telepharmacies, through which pharmaceutical care
is delivered via telecommunications by a pharmacist working away from
the clinic. Telepharmacies began to be formed in the United States shortly after the
turn of the century. The Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis said
in a 2011 paper that the growth of telepharmacies corresponded with
changes in Medicare reimbursement and the recession of 2007-08.
Let's take a look at how this works.
A
telepharmacy, or remote-dispensing site, operates like a traditional
pharmacy except the pharmacist reviews and verifies prescriptions from a
remote location. In our case, patients who come in can speak to our pharmacists in either Carlinville or Gillespie (depending on which location is available for the quickest response).
1) A prescription arrives at the pharmacy.
After arriving at the pharmacy, prescriptions will enter through the pharmacy management system (PMS) in our Bunker Hill store. Our highly advanced software integrates with our PMS for a seamless, real-time experience. Our licensed technicians prepare it for dispensing by the pharmacist.
2) The prescription is filled.
For the prescription to be verified, our technicians send images of the script,
medication labels, pills, and the medication bottle with the lot number
and expiration date in view to the remote pharmacist. These images, along with the patient’s profile, are securely stored for review before, during or after verification.
3) The pharmacist verifies the prescription.
Pharmacists will review the patient’s
medication profile for drug interactions and other potential
problems. After the pharmacist reviews the images they can either
approve or reject the submission. If rejected, the pharmacist leaves
notes for the technician regarding the discrepancy. If approved, the
technician is notified and the medication is packaged.
4) Live video patient counseling.
When you pick up your medications, you’re presented with an
option to speak to a pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns.
The remote pharmacist has all necessary patient information, including
medication history, readily available during counseling. Our consultation room is a private area where you can discuss any concerns with the responding pharmacist over a live, technologically secure HIPAA-compliant video connection.
So, Bunker Hill, to wrap up, you can expect the same high-quality service you've come to know with us. In a more convenient location. Open 6 days each week. We may be popping in from time-to-time before our opening on October 3rd, so if the door is open, stop in and say Hi!
Things are finally coming together (following some unanticipated delays) for the opening of our telepharmacy at 809 Franklin St. (next to Meehan's IGA.). Barring any further disruptions, we will open up on Monday, October 3rd. We'll get back to you with our operating hours in the next couple weeks.
We are very excited to have an opportunity to serve you, and are looking forward to introducing you to our range of services and programs including Simplify My Meds, Simple Savers, free diabetic test strips, home care services, Dr. Comfort diabetic shoes, compounding, and free delivery. Watch this blog for the announcement of our Grand Opening Celebration. We thank you for your patience - we're looking forward to making new friends and continuing our service to our current friends! Next week we'll be back here with everything you want to know about what this "telepharmacy" is all about!
