Below are a few questions and answers from a clinic interested in clinic 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?
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?
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.
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 (California requires 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.
