You’ve probably heard about Medication Synchronization (or Med Sync) programs and the benefits they offer pharmacies and patients alike. However, many independent pharmacy owners don’t know how to implement a Med Sync program at their store. To help, we’ve put together six tips for launching a Med Sync program. That way, you’ll be boosting patient compliance, increasing your pharmacy revenue, and operating more efficiently in no time!
To start a Med Sync program at your pharmacy:
1. Identify patients on multiple recurring medications.
The biggest advantage of a Med Sync program is to have all of a patient’s medications synced to the same fill date, so they can be dispensed at the same time. This saves the patient from making multiple trips to the pharmacy, eliminates confusion over when prescriptions are due to be refilled, and improves adherence by preventing delayed/missed refills. We recommend looking for patients who have been on maintenance medications, like those for blood pressure and cholesterol, for more than two months. When syncing prescriptions, make sure they all have the same day supply. For example, you wouldn’t want to sync a 30-day fill with a 90-day fill. Instead, you can use your pharmacy software to create multiple sync regimens for a patient, based on the day supply. That way you can prevent confusion and misalignment with other medications.
Enrolling these patients also allows your staff to work more efficiently, by proactively filling all the patient’s medications at once, versus one at a time. If you offer delivery or mail services, you can also reduce your delivery and shipping costs by sending one, consolidated order. Plus, pharmacies will have a better handle on their projected prescription volume, which helps them better manage their staff and inventory.
Bonus Tip: In addition to targeting patients on multiple medications, look for those that are on expensive medications as well. By enrolling patients who are using pricey medications, you’ll be better able to predict when these medications will be needed, enabling you to reduce the amount of inventory you have sitting on your shelf. Read more >