When it comes to 340B management and compliance, software training makes all the difference

When it comes to 340B management and compliance, software training makes all the difference

At Sentry, we’ve recently rolled out several new training initiatives to help our covered entity customers become experts on our 340B management and compliance software and help them make the most of their 340B savings during this unprecedented time of combating COVID.

Our new Foundations Certificate program is a method of training that is interactive and application-based — meaning the training provides scenarios to support optimal use of all of Sentry’s tools in a peer setting. Far more than simple troubleshooting, our Foundations program consists of thorough, virtual courses that encourage our customers to become “power users” of our 340B technology and come away with the skills they need for future success.

In addition, we are also offering additional custom training options and regularly scheduled webinars.  We are pleased to announce that our entire training team has been working to earn specialized training courses from a well-respected professional talent organization, in addition to the Apexus Certified Expert (ACE) program.

Several choices to meet your needs

Customers have the choice of either the full Foundation Certificate program or a custom training path when they begin implementation and continue throughout their journey.  Sentry provides on-demand resources through knowledge-based articles and recognizes that learners are often more individualized and need programs that are customized.

The Foundation Certificate option takes several weeks to complete. Customers engage in courses with our certified training experts and develop in-depth knowledge of the technology, ending with three certificates – in Sentinel, our hospital procurement and 340B compliance module; Sentrex, our 340B contract pharmacy management and eRx Eligibility Check modules; and SentryCore, the platform that ties our solutions with our unique patient database.

The second option is the custom training path, which offers a narrower focus and a shorter timeframe, for customers who want specific knowledge to fulfill their role or solve certain problems. But even this narrower approach is delivered via structured, personalized classes in a format intended to empower the user with knowledge.

All the options are designed around key principles of adult learning that we believe will help ensure our customers get the most from our technology. Our program is:

-Problem-focused – content is centered on the specific challenge or question the learner has at the time

-User-driven – the learner is in control of the where, when and how

-Intentional – offering purposeful, specific instruction; not learn-as-you-go or self-taught

Certified training experts

In addition to our new training program, our team of experts has been working hard to ensure that they can offer our customers the highest level of support during COVID with regular scheduled webinars on topics related to what they are experiencing related to inventory management, use of telemedicine, and referrals.

Several of our staff members have earned certificates of course completion from the Association for Talent Development  (ATD). ATD is an independent organization for professionals who train and develop the skills of others as part of their role; the organization aims to “empower professionals to develop talent in the workplace.”

“ATD courses really help us elevate the service we can deliver to our 340B customers when they seek training on our solutions,” says Lisa Scholz, PharmD, FACHE. “The competencies that ATD focuses on are exactly those areas we wanted to elevate at Sentry. They’re all about how to design and deliver effective training to customers, and how to evaluate the success of that training.”

Every member of Sentry’s training team has earned a specialized certificate from ATD by completing at least one course focused on a topic of interest. ATD offers individual course certificates in areas such as adult learning, virtual instruction, project management, training design and delivery.

Designed for 340B success

“The 340B landscape is so much different now than it was even five years ago,” says Scholz. “In the beginning, ‘accidental learning’ was fine – the idea that covered entities could just learn what they needed to, in the form of troubleshooting, as new challenges arose. But in this complex regulatory environment, learning needs to be much more intentional.”

As Scholz observed, the current environment has become much more complex, with program cuts and other legislative changes that have led to ongoing lawsuits, HRSA audit updates, and the current White House administration’s increased focus on drug prices. Vigilance, intentional learning and an experienced technology partner have become necessary for covered entities to maximize their 340B savings and maintain compliance.

We remain dedicated to providing 340B covered entities with all the tools needed for success: we offer our customers a team of dedicated, 100% Apexus-certified audit experts; we show up to represent the voice of covered entities on Capitol Hill, and we use configurable options to ensure maximum capture and compliance for our customers. Now, we are proud to offer a diverse training team that meets new demands in a virtual environment and our new Sentry Foundation Certificate program to the many ways in which Sentry customers can expect MORE.