The Complete Guide to LTC Pharmacy Software

Introduction to Long-Term Care Pharmacy

Long-term care (LTC) is on the rise in the U.S. The number of adults ages 65 and older is expected to reach 95 million by 2060 in the U.S. alone, nearly doubling from 52 million in 2018. So why, exactly, does this matter for pharmacies?

It all comes down to medications. The number of prescriptions required often increases with age: 87 percent of adults ages 65–79 take prescription medications, and the number rises to 91 percent for those 80 and older. Plus, patients 65 and older take 20–22 prescribed medications each year.

With an increasing number of older Americans who will need some form of long-term care in the years to come, collaboration between LTC facilities and their pharmacy partners has never been more essential—and it’s not only about long-term care for older Americans.

Other types of long-term care facilities also require pharmacy services. For example, many of the 2.12 million individuals incarcerated in the U.S. are prescribed medications. The number of residents who require prescribed medications applies to those in behavioral health facilities, post-acute care facilities, and other long-term care facilities as well.

To better support all of the different facilities they serve, more and more LTC pharmacies are investing in pharmacy management software. In this guide, we’ll tell you all you need to know about the pharmacy management software being used behind the scenes: what it is, who uses it, and how it ultimately benefits pharmacies and long-term care customers.