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The clinical role of the independent pharmacist is a dynamic one, characterized by constant learning and expansion. As the healthcare industry continuously evolves in order to thrive, so must independent pharmacy.
This is why PioneerRx gives pharmacies the ability to be more active in their patients’ wellness through Labs. For those who want to document improvement for accreditation, be aware of changes in health, or offer their own in-store testing, Labs is the ideal feature.
PioneerRx currently offers over 200 labs, ranging from Addiction and Behavioral Health to Urinalysis.
Morgan Miller, Pharmacist-In-Charge at Alps Specialty Pharmacy has relied on several Labs to better manage the disease states she and her fellow staff members encounter.
Adopting the Lab functionality has made it easier for the Alps Specialty team to integrate a more detailed, specific level of care in their daily operations.
Before, they relied on freehanded notes and charts to keep track of their patients. Now, certain Labs have become integral to their workflow.
For example, one Lab called Quality of Life allows Morgan to monitor how her patients are improving throughout their treatment, which helps Alps maintain its accreditations.
“My team and I used to spend hours going through notes, and I thought, There has to be an easier way,” Morgan recounts. “That’s what kickstarted us using the Labs functionality heavily. It used to take an endless amount of hours to create a report on Quality of Life, but this year, it only took us a couple of hours.”
Other areas of care Morgan manages include addiction, lipid management, and Hepatitis C.
One aspect of Labs that Morgan appreciates is how customizable they are, according to each individual patient’s needs.
For example, if the patient is being closely watched by their physician, Morgan may check in on their condition every 6 months or once a year.
On the other hand, if the patient is undergoing a lot of changes and new treatments, Morgan will create triggers that alert her to check in on a patient as often as every few days.
“Instead of cookie cutter patient care, Labs allow us to customize to very patient-specific parameters,” she asserts.
Morgan has observed the industry changes that have demanded more from pharmacists, and she points out one of the reasons.
“The role of a pharmacist in an independent setting is rapidly growing because the pharmacist is the most accessible healthcare person,” she explains.
She describes how patients bring their labs to the pharmacy, asking for clarification. As more people bring their test results to the pharmacy, Morgan knows she has all the tools at hand to document and strategize her patient care.
“We’re able to use PioneerRx’s own dispensing software without having to purchase other platforms to help care for patients on more clinical levels than we may have in the past.”
Collaborative practice has also been a popular topic within the field of healthcare, and Labs encourage pharmacists and prescribers to communicate about their shared patients.
Morgan relates how she plans to dive into tracking her patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, with the help of local physicians who give her access to their Labs.
For other PioneerRx users who are just getting started with the Labs capabilities, Morgan recommends focusing on disease states their pharmacies already specialize in.
“I don’t use a majority of those labs,” she says. “What I did was create a filtered view based on Categories, or I hand-selected the ones I needed.”
This, she says, removes any distractions and allows her to focus on the specific ones she intends to use instead of being overwhelmed by all the possibilities other labs offer.
While the pharmacy industry is experiencing rapid change, it is vital for independent pharmacies to adopt new practices in order to remain integral sources of healthcare in their communities. PioneerRx equips its users with tools like Labs so they can stay informed and be more involved in their patients’ wellbeing.
Want to learn more about PioneerRx’s Labs functionality? Be sure to attend Morgan’s class on Specialty and Labs at Connect 2019 in Orlando, FL
Registration is officially open!
