When it comes to managing dispensing, there are two options: Manual and Software. Depending on your practice, pharmaceutical dispensing software may be a good fit.
What do offices have to track when it comes to dispensing unit-of-use pharmaceuticals?
- Medication information
- Patient information
- Date of dispense
How long this information has to be retained will vary depending on your state regulations. Additionally, physicians must report any controlled substances dispensed to patients.
So….manual or software?
Manual dispensing systems typically use a carbon label on which the patient name and prescription instructions are written. The labels are pre-printed with clinic and physician information so it doesn’t take any longer than writing a prescription. The medications have four peel-off labels that contain drug dating and lot information so the clinic can place relative dispensing information on a patient chart, receipt and in the logbook. Northwind can assist your practice with a manual dispensing system that can minimize the time to dispense and maximize patient convenience.
Dispensing software allows the user to input the dispensing information and then print the label. These systems track inventory levels and make it very easy to pull dispensing data. The main problem with dispensing software is that many EHR (electronic health record) systems rarely integrate with every dispensing software and therefore might require double-entry of data – a deal killer in many practices. Software also tends to be slower than writing manual labels – physician dispensing does not work well in situation where the system slows the patient evaluation or checkout process. However, if you practice in a state with reporting requirements, dispensing software can make storing all that information much easier. Thankfully, Northwind offers a sophisticated dispensing system to our customers that integrates with most HER systems, adapts easily to your existing processes and has automatic reporting for most states.
Regardless of the method, speed and ease-of-use are critical for any dispensing system. Northwind has solutions for all your in-house dispensing needs. Contact us today to see how easy it can be to integrate dispensing into your clinic.
