Medicine Express Pharmacy Sets A New Standard for Automation and Accuracy with FrameworkLTC

The Challenge: Keeping Interconnectivity Between Software and Hardware 

As their team expanded and operations grew, Medicine Express sought to streamline its processes with the end goal of ensuring that the business was operating at peak performance. To achieve this, the team looked towards technology with investments in cutting-edge automation machinery to overhaul their manual workflow. 

However, as the business evolved and new technologies were adopted, it quickly became apparent that their pharmacy management system struggled to keep pace. The system couldn't handle the increasing complexity of its operations and the integration demands of its growing collection of systems. President and Pharmacist in Charge, Emily Powers, Pharm. D., reflects on this realization, stating, “We were really excited about all the technology that was entering the pharmacy space and the pharmacy industry, but they didn’t work great with the software that we were on.”  

The Solution: Improving Efficiency and Reliability with FrameworkLTC 

Realizing they had outgrown their previous pharmacy management software, Medicine Express switched to FrameworkLTC and the SoftWriters suite of supporting solutions to complete each step of their pharmacy fulfillment process, from start to finish, using FrameworkECM to automate order entry and FrameworkFlow’s mobile barcode scanning functionality to slash time spent on final pharmacist verification nearly in half. Not long after making the switch, the team noticed a significant improvement and stark contrast in their daily workload. Emily remembers the impact of this pivotal moment in the pharmacy's experience, recalling, “Switching to FrameworkLTC helped our pharmacy improve accuracy, decrease labor costs, and improve employee satisfaction.”  

 Not only did the switch to FrameworkLTC equip the Medicine Express team with a more robust set of tools, but Emily emphasized the rippling impact across the pharmacy’s various systems, machines, and software integrations. “Since implementing FrameworkLTC, our automation just works better. Our customers are happier, our interfaces work better, and my staff is happier”. 

The Results: 

A New Standard of Automation and Accuracy 

Since the transition, the Medicine Express team has noticed a significant improvement in efficiency. This newfound productivity has allowed valuable team member time to be reallocated to community outreach when new admissions arrive to ensure they are submitted entirely with all the required paperwork and necessary resident information. This increased commitment to community engagement has led to a remarkable 40% improvement in new admission accuracy and has enabled Medicine Express to fulfill new orders faster than ever, with most new admission medication orders being delivered the same day they arrive at the pharmacy. 

"Before switching to FrameworkLTC, one of the biggest complaints we heard from our customers was that their cycles were missing medications," says Emily. Within a year of switching to FrameworkLTC, Medicine Express celebrated a cycle accuracy of 100% for the first time. A level of accuracy, once assumed unachievable, has become a consistent standard regularly achieved by the pharmacy. This new standard has made a profound impact on both the quality of service and the bottom line, with a steep decrease in costly resubmission fees (also known as switch fees) they had previously been experiencing with their prior pharmacy management system. 

 "Since transitioning to FrameworkLTC, my job has gotten easier because cycles have been more accurate. We're completing new daily orders, refills, and PRNs faster than we ever have. We're able to function with fewer staff," comments Carly Thomas, Medicine Expresses' automation lead. "I would also say our cycles are extremely accurate to where we can confidently say all residents are included upon export and are 100% there." 

Improvements in Billing and a Healthier Bottom Line 

Prior to the switch to FrameworkLTC, Medicine Express's billing department was nearly unrecognizable compared to how it operates today. Before, billing took roughly two months a year, with six dedicated employees making manual adjustments and resolving errors they were experiencing with their previous system. With FrameworkLTC, billing takes a single day each month, with only a third of the staff previously required. "I think the reporting just really makes it a lot easier for our team to identify any billing errors before they hit the customer's mailboxes," says Medicine Express' Director of Finance, Brendan Reeb. "That's huge. Making the customers happy and saving us a lot of time". 

 A Deeper Impact on Both the Business and Team 

Before Medicine Express switched to FrameworkLTC, the team often worked late into the evening to troubleshoot various issues. "We used to be here until 7:00 at night," says Emily. “The last couple of hours of the day would just be troubleshooting 'what went wrong with this cycle' or 'why do we have this order' or 'why don't we have this order,' and we could never really figure it out and piece things together.” 

Now, staff members leave much earlier in the day, usually by 4:00 or 5:00 PM, enabling them to spend quality time with their families. This newfound efficiency has transformed the daily lives of employees and significantly increased employee satisfaction across the board. "My team goes home for dinner at the end of the day, and there are no mysteries left. After transitioning to FrameworkLTC, we're tracking 100% accuracy in our cycle." 

In terms of impact on the business's overall health, these efficiency upgrades have deeply impacted the bottom line and enabled Medicine Express to reduce labor costs by 6.25% (a sharp decrease from 23.5% of annual net operating income down to 17.25%). 

Conclusion: A New Future with FrameworkLTC 

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial for pharmacies like Medicine Express to embrace advancements in technology. Their success with FrameworkLTC has enhanced their daily operations and allowed them to reimagine their future. “One of the main reasons I was excited about switching to FrameworkLTC was that it will give Medicine Express Pharmacy the opportunity to enter new markets.” Emily expressed her confidence in the pharmacy’s future growth opportunities, sharing, “Previous to our transition, we were pretty siloed in assisted living and memory care, but today we’re excited about servicing skilled nursing, correctional facilities, and eventually Long-Term care at home.” 

 "In pharmacy and healthcare in general, you need outcomes, and you need results, stat. You can't wait three or four days for a problem to be resolved," says Emily. "We need to be able to fix everything independently, quickly, and be confident that our team can keep the business running smoothly at any time of day. Because of that, I would highly recommend that other pharmacies take a look at FrameworkLTC." 

Getting Started 

Wondering if you’ve outgrown your current system? Are you ready for meaningful change resulting in a profound and lasting impact on your business and team? Explore how FrameworkLTC’s unmatched integration capabilities and industry-leading platform reliability are specifically designed to support the unique needs of long-term care by optimizing workflows and streamlining operations across the pharmacy. Connect with us today or email us at sales@softwriters.com to explore more.