Save Money with Short Cycle Dispensing

Pharmacies that utilize short cycle dispensing can certainly increase their bottom line in many ways.

Typically, medication has been dispensed for a period of a month at a time, ensuring that the patient has ample supply and will not suffer from lack of medication. In some ways, this has taken the onus off of the doctor prescribing the medication and putting all responsibility on the patient who has to see to it that they take their doses at the proper time and that they do not waste anything.

With the move to short cycle dispensing at long-term care facilities, pharmacies are providing unit dose in seven to 14-day cycles. There has been some resistance in moving to the system for the simple reason that it's going to cost more implementing any type of new dispensing cycle. The idea behind this initiative from the CMS is that a short dispensing cycle will reduce the waste of pills that are associated with a month-long prescription. Over the 30-day period, there is a greater chance that drugs will not all be taken as prescribed, and there will be resulting losses by the patient which will translate into increased costs to the pharmacies and Medicare, as well as drug companies in general.

By moving to the seven-day dispensing cycle, there has been an estimation of 3 to 17 percent savings in medication costs to Medicare as well as 50 to 75 percent savings in wasted pills for the person using the medications. It is therefore in the best interest of pharmacies to adopt this plan and move to a system that is more efficient and less wasteful. RX Care Assurance has been providing this type of service for more than 30 years.

Medication Carts Make Organizing and Transporting Medication Easy and Secure

As the volume of medication increases, med carts have increased in importance and complexity. Today an open cart with bottles of pills or even individual cups of medicine for each patient is not feasible. With so many new pills coming onto the market, the increase risk of litigation and the prevalence of narcotics theft, the manner in which medication is distributed has to be safer from error, as well as pilfering, than ever before.
Hospitals are more hectic than ever; with personnel cutbacks, an aging population and more complex procedures becoming the norm, the distribution of medication is a more stressful and demanding job than ever before. This is why, as any nurse will attest, the most up to date med carts are a necessity and not a luxury. In addition to drawers with movable dividers, the medication cart medication cart must have an automatic locking area for the more attractive, addictive drugs. When rushing to deliver medication, you do not want to have to wonder if the narcotics are safe nor do you want to have to rely on memory to know if you have the right meds for the patient.
Nurses know there is no such thing as being too careful or too organized when it comes to patient care. Companies that make med carts know this and are always looking for ways to make their products more appealing. The ideal cart features an electronic lock, so there is no question of a lost key endangering lives or a nurse’s career. For the most security, an electronic lock coupled with a proximity card that allows for a record of who is taking drugs out of the cart and when, helps keep everyone honest and safe.

Rising Medical Costs Put Elderly In Poverty

A census report out this year shows that rising medical costs have increased the number of adults in poverty to 16.1 percent. With elderly poverty historically falling below 10 percent, census surveyors compiled data examining elderly poverty after taking day-to-day expenses, medical bills and medication costs into consideration. The unorthodox spike due to these expenses has drawn further examination into medication management systems and the cost savings of elder care.
With costs of prescription drugs rising steadily every year, many chronic pain and pre-existing condition patients are seeking assistance from pharmacy services firms. Elder care facilities work with patients and insurance companies to create the best combination of medicines to make patients as comfortable as possible.
Chronic Pain: From back pain to migraines, chronic pain causes daily struggles for victims that wake each day with pain. Medications can help but, since no one reacts the same way to drug regimens, patients often experiment with dosages and brands before finding a treatment plan that works best. With medication management services, your assigned pharmacist sees you in the elder care facility from day to day, checking in on your side effects and constantly tailoring your management so you get to the correct unit dose faster.
Pre-Existing Conditions: Complicated diseases like diabetes and cancer have dedicated drugs to help you live a better life. But as you and your doctor search for a medication plan, you may find that the side effects of many medications are worse than the disease. Living at an elder care facility can save you money by finding the correct combination of drugs to treat your disease and minimize side effects.