US Pharm. 2013;38(6):((Pharmacy & Technology suppl):11.
Tammy Devine, president of QS/1, a complete healthcare automation solutions provider, recently spoke to U.S. Pharmacist.
Q: Pharmacy computer hardware and software have come a long way since their introduction. They’ve become smaller, more powerful, and less costly. While there are many varieties of hardware and software in the market today, basic functions are the same. Have pharmacy computer systems peaked in their technological advances?
A: don’t think they have peaked. As computers become smaller and faster, there are more opportunities in the pharmacy area. The pharmacist now has the option to take the computer from behind the counter to work closer with customers. This may be an area away from the pharmacy for counseling and working on disease management or MTM [medication therapy management]. Because of changes in technology, new devices may be available for automation in the pharmacy, from faster and smaller robots to more options of packaging machines for long-term-care facilities. Also, the cost of computers is going down, which makes all these options more affordable.
Q: Electronic health records (EHRs) and e-prescribing are quickly becoming the norm. Many pharmacists have both praised and criticized these advancements in technology. On the positive side, they solve the age-old problem of sloppy physician handwriting. On the negative side, some pharmacists point to privacy concerns while others say that e-prescribing is not being used properly by many physicians and/or their staffs, which results in rejected prescriptions and additional transaction fees for the pharmacy. Will EHRs and e-prescribing become the industry standard, and is there room for improvement in their design/use?
A: Both will eventually be found in most pharmacies. But there is a lot of room for improvement in the standards that need to be in place to make the data usable. There needs to be more standardization in the fields that are being sent in both types of transactions.
Q: While the advancements in computerization and robotics have been a boon to productivity in the pharmacy department, many pharmacists fear that eventually such technology will replace them. Do you think there is a foundation to their fears?
A: The piece that is done by robotics is the count and label piece. The pharmacist has a large role in counseling the patient. This role is growing with the push for MTM by many insurance companies.
Q: There is much talk about patients not taking their medications properly, thus driving up costs to the healthcare system. It has been suggested by many professional associations that pharmacists step out from behind the prescription counter and take on a more active consultative role with patients, ensuring they remain compliant and adhere to their proper drug therapy. What role do you see for technology in this new expanded role for pharmacists?
A: Better tools for tracking what a patient is taking on a daily basis. Interfaces to equipment so the pharmacists know if the patients are taking their medications and if they are working, i.e.—how is their blood pressure, or [are they] testing cholesterol levels, etc. Also, more standards in transmitting the MTM session for reimbursement.
Q: With so many patients participating in some kind of a prescription drug insurance program, adjudicating pharmacy reimbursements for these prescriptions has become a critical part of a pharmacist’s workflow. Even with all the advanced data transmission software available to computer vendors today, in many cases accurate adjudication of prescription claims has still not been 100% achievable. What is happening the technology arena to improve this process?
A: The biggest issue we see is understanding the rejected messages from the insurance companies.
Q: Because of high insurance copays on many prescriptions being processed through prescription insurance programs, a number of pharmaceutical companies are making available discount cards that lessen the burden on the patient. These cards have flooded the market, making it difficult for pharmacists to integrate prescription data into a patient’s health record. There doesn’t seem to be any letup in sight. What is the industry doing to integrate these discount copay cards into pharmacy computer systems?
A: By storing discount card information per patient, some systems will let you keep the prescription on the profile for tracking. The prescription will have the discount information so the pharmacy will know what to do on the next fill. The discount cards are really an alternative to samples that cannot be tracked at all in the pharmacy if the physician gives them. The discount card does get the patient in the pharmacy.
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