Community Pharmacists Help Save Money and Improve Health

Currently, in the United States, community pharmacies employ over 315,000 people, and of that group, 63,000 of them are pharmacists. Additionally, community pharmacies are responsible for the dispensing of somewhere around 40 percent of all retail drugs and prescriptions. These are neighborhood pharmacists who have a substantial hand in our local healthcare systems, and recently, they’ve begun taking the steps toward improved overall health and reduced medical expenses.

Similar to some other healthcare trends, community pharmacists are opting for cost-effective generic drugs rather than prescribing and dispensing based on a profit margin like some other providers, such as mail order. This not only saves patients money and promotes more available care, but it saves bundles in federal tax dollars. The benefits of these community pharmacists don’t stop there though.

They take patient care a few steps further with a full out fight against diabetes. Many community pharmacists are providing diabetes training and comprehensive education for patients and their families. There are hopes that this will help sufferers manage their condition more effectively and prevent the high costs often associated with it. Additionally, if Congress supports this movement, they will be able to protect access to diabetes testing supplies for Medicare beneficiaries and create a more personalized form of counseling on their appropriate use at local pharmacies.

Community pharmacies urge the Congress to support their cause not only for the overall benefit of the government and American tax dollars, but also for each and every patient they try to help.

Contact Healthcare Consultants -Pharmacy Business Solutions for help with your pharmacy planning, pharmacy start up, pharmacy design or interim pharmacy management.

Amendments Expected to House Bill 7095

House Bill 7095 has recently been passed by the Florida House and is on its way to the Senate. But it isn’t expected to pass right away. There is a bill that is favored by the Senate that some think might lead to an amendment to the HB 7095. Once it has been amended with provisions from the Senate Bill 818, it will be sent back once again for Florida House approval. The questions on everyone’s mind is just what will the Senate opt to amend?

Currently, the major effort pushed forth by HB 7095 is one to not only report fraudulent prescriptions, but to eliminate the possibility all together. It comments on the expected terms of reporting offenders and potential abusers, and lays down the consequences for not doing so in a timely manner. Additionally, it lays out the restrictions and expectations of wholesalers and their check of clients. If amended, some of the possible provisions would include similar, but more precise regulations and punishments, and both allow and urge pharmacists to undergo extra training that will aid them in following these regulations.

Even though the amending and voting is happening now, it is said that pharmacies won’t be expected to begin registering under these new provisions until at least 2013. The issue is fluid, so there is opportunity for more changes, more amendments and even a scrapping of the bill all together. The bill is most likely tied to other issues in both the House and Senate, so only time will tell whether or not these provisions will be going into effect or not.

Contact Healthcare Consultants -Pharmacy Business Solutions for help with your pharmacy planning, pharmacy start up, pharmacy design or interim pharmacy management.

Tornadoes Destroy Alabama Medicine Supplies

Alabama pharmacists benefited from the issues dealt with during Hurricane Katrina and had a plan in place to help those who need daily medication after the deadly tornadoes that decimated the state. With their medicine supplies swept away and destroyed, victims who survived and require their regular, chronic and prescription medicines are struggling to find a helping hand. But methods have been put into motion by both pharmacists and private healthcare insurers that will help alleviate that struggle temporarily.

While one can never be fully prepared for such a devastating event, after the turmoil with Hurricane Katrina, the pharmacists of Alabama were as ready as they could be. 30-day supplies of medications were dispensed at pharmacies of affected areas and patients were able to pick up that short term supply as long as they could show some proof that they had already been receiving the medicines. If proof and identification of the medicine was lost in the storm, pharmacists were also able to find the required information in their online system or over the phone. While this does not include painkillers, it does include the vital medicines patients needed to survive.

Another aid set in motion is the free medical clinics that were strategically placed in devastated communities. While many citizens did not require immediate medical attention, over a hundred patients with diabetes and asthma were able to have access to testing equipment, insulin and asthma inhalers. Going without these may simply be an inconvenience for a day or two, but going long term can be life threatening. The purpose of this free clinic effort is to avoid those problems all together.

Contact Healthcare Consultants -Pharmacy Business Solutions for help with your pharmacy planning, pharmacy start up, pharmacy design or interim pharmacy management.

Billing Shift to Veteran's Third Party Presciptions

A new process is being put into effect by the Department of Veteran Affairs that will alter billing for third party insurers. While the shift won’t change the Veteran’s co-pay, it will affect the billing process associated with outpatient prescription medications for conditions that are not related to the Veteran’s military service.

In other words, if the Veteran requires medication for a condition outside of their military service, the third party insurer that represents the Veteran will be charged for the full payment. This is simply a collaborative effort between healthcare insurers and VA to ensure a continuation of incomparable healthcare.

Prior to this change, VA simply charged a flat fee that was considered an average for all the medication. Instead, more precise calculations are being taken and required. According to the VA’s chief business officer, the change is simple and it can go a long way in keeping veteran healthcare and wellbeing topnotch.

As mentioned, these changes will not affect Veteran co-payments. Currently Veterans are co-paying around $9 per month, if anything. But this shift in billing will only affect the third party insurance companies, while Veteran themselves can carry on as usual.

Contact Healthcare Consultants -Pharmacy Business Solutions for help with your pharmacy planning, pharmacy design or interim pharmacy management.