One of the major drivers for doctors considering dispensing pharmaceuticals from their clinics is the potential revenue. There are many patient benefits but this post will focus on the economic impact to a medical clinic.
First of all, the facts. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows about 633,000 working doctors in the United States. About half of them work in physician offices and 12% of them are self-employed. Of all working physicians, about 40% are internal medicine, family practice and pediatrics; the average primary care physician earns about $186,000 per year.
With reimbursements dropping (Bluecross cutting reimbursements…), all types of physicians are forced to look for creative ways to cut costs (ex: reduce the price of medical supplies) as well as increase revenues. Enter physician dispensing. Medication dispensing involves offering prepackaged pharmaceuticals to patients before they leave the office. It is estimated that just under 10,000 physicians dispense from their practices. One study shows that general practice physicians see just 18 patients per day. General practice docs are seeing a variety of conditions and many of them require a prescription.
My next post will focus on discussing the numbers and economic impact of pharmaceutical dispensing.
