5 Essential Tips for Efficient Drug Dispensing in Long-Term Care
Long-term care (LTC) pharmacies are constantly looking for ways to work more efficiently—and technology undoubtedly plays a huge role.
Most pharmacies today rely on workflow automation to help them compete effectively, grow efficiently, and maximize their margins. With the right strategies—supported by the right software—LTC pharmacies can significantly improve their dispensing workflows from start to finish.
Here are five key strategies LTC pharmacies can adopt to enhance their drug dispensing efficiency:
1. Automate Dispensing Workflows
Automation is transforming LTC pharmacy operations. By automating dispensing workflows, pharmacies can greatly enhance their efficiency, reduce the need for human touchpoints (and the errors that come with them), and streamline operations across the board. LTC pharmacy software with automation capabilities can handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks that would otherwise consume valuable time and resources.
Using an electronic content management tool such as FrameworkECM, pharmacies can do more with fewer full-time employees, reducing overhead while maintaining high service standards. So many steps—including triaging orders and documents, processing reorders, and communicating with facilities and prescribers—can be automated, saving pharmacy staff members countless hours.
2. Switch to Batch Processing
Batch processing is a highly effective strategy for managing the large volumes of orders typical in LTC pharmacies. Unlike continuous processing, which handles orders as they come in, batch processing groups orders together to be processed all at once.
Taking this approach helps to streamline workflows, reduce idle time, and optimize resource utilization. By preparing and processing orders in batches, pharmacies can improve their overall efficiency, ensuring medications are ready for timely delivery. This also allows pharmacies to allocate staff more effectively; specific times can be set aside for batch processing, reducing the need for constant adjustments to workflow.
3. Embrace Handheld Barcode Scanning
Barcode scanning technology has become indispensable for LTC pharmacies, allowing for quick and accurate verification of medications at every stage of the dispensing process. With the flexibility to scan barcodes from anywhere in the pharmacy, staff members can significantly cut down on the number of clicks and steps required to process an order—a total game changer for any busy pharmacy staff.
Minimizing errors and speeding up the verification process using barcode-scanning tools ensures patients receive the correct medication in a timely manner. Additionally, integrating barcode scanning with other technologies, such as zone printing, can further streamline operations, creating a more organized and efficient workflow and reducing the likelihood of delays.
4. Use Dashboards to Avoid Delivery Bottlenecks
Efficient drug dispensing extends beyond the pharmacy itself; it also involves delivery management. Using a delivery management tool such as FrameworkPOD, LTC pharmacies can optimize their delivery processes with features such as route optimization, scheduling, real-time driver tracking, and proof of delivery.
Delivery management software helps with visibility as well. A well-designed delivery dashboard provides a centralized view of all deliveries, allowing pharmacies to monitor progress and address any issues in near-real-time. This level of oversight helps prevent bottlenecks and ensures medications are delivered to the right patients at the right times—without causing delays to medication regimens.
5. Invest in Ongoing Pharmacy Staff Training
Even with the best LTC pharmacy software on the market, the level of efficiency ultimately depends on the people behind it. That’s why investing in staff training is crucial. Well-trained pharmacy technicians are more likely to work efficiently, make fewer errors, adapt quickly to new technologies, and make the best use of software.
Offering ongoing training opportunities, like those provided through FrameworkAcademy and the FrameworkLTC training center, keeps pharmacy staff up to date with the latest industry developments and software updates.
Level Up Dispensing Efficiency with FrameworkLTC
Leveraging the right software allows LTC pharmacies to simplify their operations, reduce inefficiencies, and deliver better patient care. With FrameworkLTC in their toolbox, LTC pharmacists and pharmacy staff can level up dispensing efficiency, saving valuable time and money—and enhancing their services in the process.
Want to see how FrameworkLTC can transform your pharmacy’s efficiency? Schedule a demo today and discover the difference firsthand.