Medicallly integrated dispensing
Dispensing Considerations
Factors to consider before opening a medically integrated dispensing program
Allowance
Does your state allow physician dispensing and/or practice-owned-and-operated pharmacies? MA, MT, TX, and UT do not allow physician dispensing. What licenses does your state require: Pharmacy? Physician dispensing? Business?
Engagement
Appoint a physician champion for the program in your office and ensure that your physicians are supportive. Create educational materials and resources so that all of the physicians in your practice know how to use the medically integrated dispensing pharmacy.
Financials
Does your practice write enough prescriptions to generate a margin that ensures viability? Do payer mandates in your area require that prescriptions be sent to a specialty pharmacy? If so, is the mandate for the first prescription or refills only?
Resources
Does your practice have enough physical space for the model you’re choosing? Are you sufficiently staffed to operate a medically integrated dispensing program? How many additional associates will you have to hire?
Understand local requirements prior to implementation
Inventory
Examine your pro forma and patient mix to determine whether you will stock all products or only high-volume/high-margin products. Check network requirements to determine if you are eligible to dispense limited distribution products.
Multiple sites
If your practice has multiple locations, consider all factors when determining how many/which site will have a pharmacy. Verify state laws and regulations around sending prescriptions from one location to another.
State requirements
Obtain legal counsel from a healthcare attorney to understand your state's regulations around size requirements, counter requirements, and security requirements.
Not sure where to start?
Opening a new service line in your practice can be daunting. That's why our dedicated team of pharmacy experts partners with practices to open their medically integrated dispensing programs. We can help you with promotional and implementation support, and provide technology integrations that make sense for your business. Contact our team to discuss your practice's future, today.