The exchange below comes directly from a recent interaction with a clinic looking to begin pharmaceutical dispensing.
Phil, could you please tell me more about the
regulations for point of care dispensing?
So we have a log book- is that all we have to
do?
do?
Clinics need to keep track of what products are dispensed
to patients. For legend products, there are normally no reporting
requirements. Some states require physicians to submit reports for any
controlled substances they dispense. The products we ship come with 4-part peel-off labels.
These peel-offs contain all of the pertinent information for that particular
drug. Clinics can put the peel-offs on patient charts, receipts or any other
form for tracking purposes. The logbook we supply contains carbon labels that
are placed on the bottle itself. Once the bottle is labeled with the patient’s
name, dispenser’s name and date, it is a legal prescription. The label information is
carbon-copied onto the label sheet which is left in the logbook. This becomes
your record of dispenses.
Why then is there so much software out there to
help practices do this?
What information are we required to give
patients?
What would it take to bill insurance if we wanted
to?
to patients. For legend products, there are normally no reporting
requirements. Some states require physicians to submit reports for any
controlled substances they dispense. The products we ship come with 4-part peel-off labels.
These peel-offs contain all of the pertinent information for that particular
drug. Clinics can put the peel-offs on patient charts, receipts or any other
form for tracking purposes. The logbook we supply contains carbon labels that
are placed on the bottle itself. Once the bottle is labeled with the patient’s
name, dispenser’s name and date, it is a legal prescription. The label information is
carbon-copied onto the label sheet which is left in the logbook. This becomes
your record of dispenses.
Why then is there so much software out there to
help practices do this?
Many companies offer dispensing systems to automate the tracking of
inventory and dispenses. For bigger dispensers, software is a great way to keep
track of inventory and automate any reporting requirements. The biggest issue
with the software is that it is never as fast as writing the labels and for
clinics that have their own EMR (electronic medical record) system, it is painful to manage two separate
applications. Our dispensing application, RxTracker, is a no-charge service for
our customers. Most of our clinics keep it simple by opting for the manual
system.
inventory and dispenses. For bigger dispensers, software is a great way to keep
track of inventory and automate any reporting requirements. The biggest issue
with the software is that it is never as fast as writing the labels and for
clinics that have their own EMR (electronic medical record) system, it is painful to manage two separate
applications. Our dispensing application, RxTracker, is a no-charge service for
our customers. Most of our clinics keep it simple by opting for the manual
system.
What information are we required to give
patients?
Many states require dispensing physicians to provide drug
counseling and drug information sheets to patients. Obviously, drug counseling
is part of the care you are already providing. PCA Pharmaceuticals makes drug information sheets
available electronically to our clinics so they can be printed for patients.
Some states also require physicians to inform their patients that they have the
option of going to a pharmacy to have their prescription filled (I know
California does this). Your state may or may not require a formal notification.
counseling and drug information sheets to patients. Obviously, drug counseling
is part of the care you are already providing. PCA Pharmaceuticals makes drug information sheets
available electronically to our clinics so they can be printed for patients.
Some states also require physicians to inform their patients that they have the
option of going to a pharmacy to have their prescription filled (I know
California does this). Your state may or may not require a formal notification.
What would it take to bill insurance if we wanted
to?
We have a number of clinics that submit claims to third
party payors. The specific requirements for your clinic will depend on the payor. Most claims for medication dispensing are submitted to state workers compensation funds for occupational health injuries.The majority of our
clinics only accept cash for medications.
party payors. The specific requirements for your clinic will depend on the payor. Most claims for medication dispensing are submitted to state workers compensation funds for occupational health injuries.The majority of our
clinics only accept cash for medications.
