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Record learning outcomes

Do you have enough terminals in your pharmacy to manage the workload?  

Before you buy any new IT gadgets, make sure you’re making the most of your existing kit, suggests Andy Charlesworth, Numark’s IT Services Manager

Pharmacy IT is in a better place now than it has been for many years. Of course, nearly all pharmacies have access to the Internet via a broadband connection but a growing number of contractors are investing a great deal more in technology that has the potential to revolutionise their business.

Some pharmacies have installed flat screen TVs promoting their services and advertising products, or interactive healthcare advice terminals for their customers. Patients can now request their repeat prescriptions via mobile apps that have the facility to push promotional messages from the pharmacy. And robots are becoming more accessible to independent pharmacists, a few of which are operating informal ‘hub and spoke’ models if they have three or four branches. Robots can help automate pharmacies, creating headroom to run additional services.

There is a lot of new pharmacy technology to choose from and you may be tempted to splash out on some of it … but are you making the most of what you’ve already got?

Before you invest …

Let’s start with what pharmacies have already, the patient medication records system – a machine holding a lot of very important information which, in most cases, is connected to the Internet and therefore has access to emails. Like most computers, your PMR system has a wealth of functionality, and you are probably only using a fraction of it. How much do you know about the capabilities of your current PMR system and how it can help you run your business more effectively and help you manage your patients?

These systems are evolving all the time. When did you last spend some time reviewing the latest online training or manual for your PMR systems? Is it only the essential functionality that you’re fully versed in? How many reports do you run to help organise your business, for example?

Until someone tells you otherwise it’s all too easy to do what you’ve always done, so set yourself a challenge to learn more about your PMR system. For example, if you’re running a repeat prescription service for your patients, use the tools provided to you by your PMR system to make the process easier.

If you get this bit right, you can then think about bringing more efficiencies into the process by using technology to request repeats electronically directly into GP computer systems, such as the Medicines Manager developed by EMIS Health (formerly Rx Systems).

Managing the workload

Are you using reports that give you an overview of the workload in your business? You can run simple reports to see when you have your peaks and troughs; this will give you vital information about when you have time to run additional services such as flu, travel, blood pressure testing, etc.

Do you have enough terminals in your pharmacy to manage the workload? One PMR system terminal just isn’t enough these days. According to EMIS Health, the entry-level configuration these days is three terminals – two in the dispensary, one in the consultation room.

More and more services require the recording of outcome data to trigger a payment. If you haven’t got a terminal in your consultation room, you’re making life more difficult for yourself, as it’s a more effective use of your time to record the information as you go, either during or shortly after the consultation. Many private services also require access to a web portal when you are talking to the patient, to help inform them and to record information.

All pharmacies in England will be able to access a portion of a patient’s records via the summary care record in the not too distant future, and this has the potential to make a big difference to the quality of care pharmacists can give. However, you need to be able to access the information first. You therefore need to consider how frequently you’ll need it and whether purchasing an additional terminal, or repositioning an existing one, could help.

Front of house

Electronic point of sale (EPoS) systems are a great way of managing and potentially rationalising your over-the-counter pharmacy stock. Although widely used in other retail environments, they still aren’t mainstream in pharmacy, yet most PMR system providers have an EPOS solution that allows access to the PMR to help with patient consultations.

It is becoming more valuable to be able to access patient details at the counter, not least for the EPS process. Access to a PMR system at front of house allows EPS nominations to be captured and administered and exemption status to be confirmed.

Stock control functionality is available in all PMR systems – are you using it? In the coming years there will be more and more requirement to track medicines through the supply chain to help reduce counterfeits and to help with patient safety. This could involve scanning products in and out of the pharmacy. It is important to prepare for this by beginning to use stock control functionality.

Make the most of the systems you’ve got and learn what they can do for you now. Once you’ve got the foundations right, you can research what else is available that can help you.