1/8/2024 0 Comments Supersync sync changesEach bag is capable of holding up to four different medications (this is a practical limitation based on the size of print and the amount of information that has to be included on each bag per pharmacy labeling regulations) and seven tablets/capsules (this being limited by the volume each bag can contain). The number of bags in an order will depend on the number of medications, and the number of times each day a patient takes a medication, and the number of days being packaged. The per-bag cost for a strip-package is about $0.021 (the decimal is important as there will be numerous bag in any given order). The cost of the robotic equipment is not being included in this discussion in a similar way that labor costs were not included in the cost analysis of a traditional prescription. The primary costs associated with this method are packaging paper (the cellophane that becomes the bag) and the ribbon (which creates the printing on the package). When dispensing 90 day supplies, the cost per month is reduced only marginally, as the more of the larger vials are required, adding expense. The cost per month for vials, lids and labels, given a typical patient being synchronized in our pharmacy is about $3 per month. Overall, each prescription filled costs the pharmacy about $0.30.Īpproximate monthly cost for vials, lids and labels for patients receiving 6 to 12 chronic medications. Label costs add about $0.02 to $0.08 each, depending on stock and size of the order. Larger vials can cost upwards of $1.00, though these are much less commonly used in most pharmacies. The cost of a typical prescription vial with a lid varies by size, with the more common small 8 dram vials / lid costing roughly $0.25 each. One significant question, however, is if a program like this will save a pharmacy money, or cost them more in time and materials. The analysis below represents reasonable approximations to the cost of this type of program. The pharmacy trades vials, caps and labels for the disposables used by the packaging system. The patient’s medication are simply entered in the pharmacy management software and sent to the robot for packaging. Methods like this work very well in combination with medication synchronization. The patient’s next doses are always the next bag on the strip. Packaging systems like the Parata Pass system create a prepackaged, commingled, multi-dose strip package with each day and time divided into a perforated strip of bags. One novel way to approach medication packaging for the synchronized patient is to do away with the prescription vial entirely. SuperSync: Synchronization plus Packaging Depending on how this service is managed, it is even possible for the pharmacy to charge a fee for this service. The pharmacy can assist (though it does need to abide by state and federal regulations with respect to labeling if applicable). Filling a planner, however, is a fairly tedious process for some patients. An easy way of doing this is to recommend the use of a medication planner. One of the best ways to help a patient take their medications correctly is the make the job of taking the medications less burdensome. When these types of interventions steps fail to improve a patient’s compliance, however, it is time to call in a super hero: SuperSync. changing a person from simvastatin, that has to be taken in the evening, to atorvastatin, that can be taken with the rest of the patient’s medications). Pharmacist can coach patients to improve their compliance or even suggest changes of therapy to the prescriber to simplify the patient’s medication regimen (e.g. The patient still has to remember to follow their mediation regimen, and sometimes this obstacle is daunting. Companies like Prescribe Wellness, and Ateb (and others) offer cloud based software solutions to help pharmacies manage what turns out to be this less than trivial task.īut synchronization only address one aspect of patient compliance by making it less likely that the patient will be without one or more medications. Synchronization is one strategy to improve patient compliance, making it less likely that the patient runs out of medication.Īt our pharmacy, the synchronization is often referred to “not-so-simplify my meds” because of all of the details that have to be managed by the pharmacy to successfully synchronize, and maintain synchronization, of a patient’s medications. With the Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) being the focus of three of the five CMS performance measures for pharmacy, medication synchronization services are being adopted by many pharmacies. To say that Medication Adherence is a hot topic in many pharmacies is an understatement.
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