Q. What makes an automated will call system turn-key and user-friendly?
I would say that it’s intuitive, just simply intuitive. What you want it to do and how you would want it done, the will call system does it. The sorting feature that our system has, makes it easy to identify prescriptions that haven’t been picked up in 10 days or more, bags that have low batteries, and prescriptions that need to be returned to stock. This feature saves my staff valuable time that we did not have when using a very basic will call system.
Q. How do you select an automated will call system which is expandable and continuously upgraded?
When I was looking to upgrade my will call system from a basic system to an advanced system, we looked at the following:
• Functionally: How the system works, features, and benefits.
• Bags: How bags are powered (external vs. battery), size, and space.
• Cost: Positive ROI, competitive price.
• Partnership: A positive experience to get the system up and running, facilitate it, and troubleshoot it.
Q. Given Nebraska fills and dispenses a high volume of prescriptions every day, how did your choice of will call automation ensure patient safety and accuracy?
When updating our will call system, it was very important to have safety features. The current will call system we use has a required two point identification feature, which verifies both the name of the patient and DOB. The patient must give this information to staff or the medication bags cannot be found. Although, our error rates are astronomically low, the most common problem was the wrong patient getting or almost getting the wrong medication. With an innovative will call system in place, our retrieval rates are quicker and we are saving a few seconds of time, hundreds of times a day.
Q. Will patients appreciate Nebraska’s investment in their safety, yet receive quick and exceptional service?
The response from our patients has been positive, but interesting enough – some patients haven’t noticed yet! However, the patients that do notice like the utilization of technology, they find it novel and state-of-the-art. We have tripled the size of our pharmacy and added multiple new technologies, and our will call system is by far the most effective and positive aspect. Our advanced will call system is something our patients and staff alike can appreciate.
Q. Why do you think it’s important for a high-volume pharmacy to have a will call system in place?
When a pharmacy hits a high-volume status it is extremely important to stay focused and organized. First and foremost, being a high-volume pharmacy has another level of organization. Organization is always key for efficiency, but I think at some point it becomes more about liability. Being a disorganized pharmacy is one thing, being a high volume pharmacy that is disorganized, just is not feasible. Adding the will call system gave our pharmacy that few extra minutes to add quality and value to our workflow efficiency, such as more time for clinical chart reviews, interaction with customers, or patient consultations.
Q. Can you purchase an advanced will call system without going over budget?
I’d argue that purchasing a will call system is not an expense, but an investment. With the amount that you spend on the system, you get back more of the employee’s time and satisfaction. Installing an advanced will call system has helped with employee engagement – drawing them to something new and innovative, and improved morale. I hope that when all is said and done and I get a chance to look back, the thousands of times we’ve saved 10 seconds here, 30 seconds there, we were net-positive in the investment.
As leaders at Nebraska Medicine, we ask ourselves the important questions and if we cannot answer those questions in a positive way, then we look for alternative solutions. Here are seven values we considered before making the decision to invest in a advanced will call system:
1. Safety: We wanted the system to require staff to confirm two points of identification to prevent the wrong patient receiving meds.
2. Efficiency: We wanted to remove the manual searching of bags, as we often have over 1,000 bags in pick up, and make the process faster.
3. Patient Experience: We wanted to improve our patient experience by decreasing the time it takes us to find bags.
4. Provider Selection: We wanted a partner who was flexible and adaptable.
5. Staff: We wanted a user friendly system.
6. Financial Considerations: We wanted a competitive cost
Vince Jorn, Director of Community-Based Pharmacy, Nebraska Medicine
Vince Jorn has been the Director of Community-based Pharmacy at Nebraska Medicine since 2014. Nebraska Medicine achieved initial and renewal of URAC specialty pharmacy accreditation, and access to several limited distribution medications and payer networks during his tenure. Vince received his PharmD from University of Nebraska Medical Center and is currently completing his Executive MBA in Healthcare Administration at the University of Colorado. Vince grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska and desperately tries to improve his golf game for fun.
This post is related to:
Workflow: Will-Call, Kiosk Prescription Management
