6 Tips for Building Strong Relationships with LTC Facility Partners

Long-term care (LTC) pharmacies do more than dispense medications. They are critical in ensuring seamless care, reducing administrative burdens, and helping facilities stay compliant. But strong partnerships don’t happen automatically; they require open communication, reliable service, and a deep understanding of facility workflows.

Here are six different ways to strengthen these relationships and improve collaboration with LTC facilities:

1. Understand Facility Needs and Challenges

Each LTC facility has its own workflows, staffing limitations, and regulatory pressures. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works. Taking the time to understand a facility’s specific challenges—whether it’s managing complex medication regimens, handling frequent staff turnover, or ensuring compliance with evolving regulations—allows pharmacies to provide tailored support.

Regular check-ins with facility administrators and care teams help uncover roadblocks and identify ways to improve medication management. The more a pharmacy understands day-to-day operations, the better it can deliver solutions that make life easier for facility staff.

2. Communicate Clearly and Proactively

Consistent, structured communication strengthens relationships and prevents small issues from becoming major disruptions. A clear process for sharing information—such as scheduled check-ins and real-time alerts—keeps facility staff informed about medication changes, potential shortages, and best practices for storage and handling.

Technology makes this even easier. Facility web portals, secure messaging systems, and electronic content management tools eliminate the back-and-forth, ensuring critical updates are always accessible. With the right systems in place, facility staff can spend less time tracking down information and more time focusing on resident care.

3. Streamline Medication Management and Delivery

Timely, accurate medication delivery is one of the most valuable services a pharmacy provides. When delays occur, it puts facility staff in a difficult position, forcing them to find workarounds that disrupt care.

LTC pharmacy software simplifies tracking, minimizes errors, and improves overall efficiency. Integrating electronic medication administration records (EMAR) and automated dispensing systems ensures seamless coordination between pharmacy and facility, reducing the burden on caregivers and increasing medication adherence.

4. Provide Ongoing Education and Training

Long-term care staff handle a high volume of medications daily, and mistakes can have serious consequences. Regular training sessions help facility teams stay up to date on best practices for medication management, regulatory requirements, and the pharmacy’s own processes.

On-demand resources—such as quick-reference guides, video tutorials, and interactive training modules—give staff easy access to information when they need it most. Offering hands-on software training also ensures that facilities get the full benefit of pharmacy technology, improving medication adherence and compliance.

5. Accommodate Facility-Centric Requests

Flexibility is key to building a strong partnership. Every facility has unique preferences when it comes to medication packaging, delivery schedules, and inventory management. A pharmacy that can accommodate these needs strengthens trust and collaboration.

For example:

• Customized packaging: Multi-dose blister packs, special labeling, or other tailored solutions help streamline administration.

• Special formulations: Some residents need liquid, chewable, or compounded medications when standard formats aren’t an option.

• Flexible delivery schedules: STAT orders and after-hours fulfillment can be critical in urgent situations.

• Medication synchronization: Aligning refill dates simplifies medication management for residents with complex regimens.

Providing personalized solutions demonstrates a commitment to meeting the facility’s needs, strengthening trust and collaboration.

6. Use Technology for Seamless Collaboration

The right LTC pharmacy software removes administrative headaches and strengthens communication—leading to stronger, longer-lasting partnerships.

A dedicated facility web portal like FrameworkVision allows staff to submit new prescription requests, manage refills, and track order statuses—all from one central platform. When combined with FrameworkLTC and FrameworkECM, LTC pharmacies can easily automate workflows, improve order accuracy, send secure messages, and ensure a seamless experience for their facility partners.

Strengthening Facility Partnerships with FrameworkLTC

LTC facilities rely on their pharmacy partners for more than just medication fulfillment. Clear communication, reliable service, and a willingness to accommodate unique needs all contribute to a successful partnership. Pharmacies that take the initiative to streamline processes, educate staff, and embrace technology set themselves apart as trusted allies.

See how FrameworkLTC can simplify collaboration and strengthen your facility partnerships. Schedule a demo today.