Pharmacy Excels with Euclid's Axial® Multi Dose Packaging System

INTRODUCTION
Many U.S. patients are not adherent to their prescription medication regimens using traditional pill vial packaging. This lack of adherence is estimated to cause nearly 125,000 deaths, in addition to costing the American healthcare system between $100 billion and $289 billion per year. 

That’s why Bartlett Prescription Shop, a 2,400 square foot retail pharmacy located in Bartlett, Tennessee (a small suburb outside of Memphis) decided to connect with Euclid Medical Products, a leader in the pharmacy packaging equipment industry, to improve medication adherence while also attracting new clientele and boosting operational efficiency. 

THE PROBLEM 
Bartlett Prescription Shop has been around since 1975 and has developed a loyal customer base amongst Bartlett’s citizens. Filling roughly 150-220 prescriptions daily, Bartlett’s typical demographic are those 55+, and oftentimes younger generations who serve as the older generation’s caregivers will frequent the pharmacy, too. Typically, Bartlett’s clients would leave the pharmacy not because of poor customer service, but because they moved to assisted living or retirement communities. 

“When I was looking at how we wanted to develop the future of this pharmacy, I wanted to see where our patients were going, and how we can follow our customers,” said Josh Regel, owner and operator of Bartlett Prescription Shop and Regel PharmaLab, a compounding pharmacy in Memphis. “With many switching to assisted living, we wanted to try and follow them in their progression, but we didn’t have a product for that specific type of patient at the time.”

Additionally, Regel noted that the two generations the pharmacy serves seek two different approaches when it comes to their prescriptions, and they were in need of a product that would be able to provide both. 

“Our customers in the older demographics still want a hands-on approach; they want to maintain a relationship with our pharmacists. They also have a higher number of prescriptions to keep track of. But what we end up seeing with the generation behind them, is that they don’t want to wait. They’d prefer to utilize technology for a quick and efficient process.” 

Bartlett Prescription Shop knew they wanted to meet their patients where they are. Turning to Euclid Medical Products, Bartlett was ready to provide a solution to both generations - one that would still maintain relationships and balance multiple prescriptions at once for their older customers, while being technologically advanced, speedy, and an introduction to medication synchronization for their younger customers. 

THE SOLUTION
Euclid Medical Products Axial® Multi-Dose Machines are a line of next generation strip adherence pouch packaging machines and consumables with unit- and multi-dose capabilities and were a perfect fit for Bartlett’s needs. 

During the current pandemic and beyond, pharmacists have seen worsening adherence due to a variety of correlating factors such as an avoidance of care, pharmacy closures, reduced financial resources and medication shortages. Multi-dose medication packaging, using the Axial® packaging machine, promotes adherence and simplifies the process for the patient by pouch packaging medications and adopting medication synchronization (med sync), where a patient’s entire prescription regimen is synchronized to be refilled on the exact same day of the month, eliminating the need for separate call-ins and pickups.

“The Axial® machine and concept of packaging is the future of pharmacy. It’s exactly the reason why we wanted to grab a hold of it. Other brands and equipment just didn’t make sense for us. Axial® fit all of our criteria - the smaller size for our compact facility, the packaging capabilities and addition of med sync, the efficiency - it’s incredibly versatile,” said Regel. 

The Axial® Multi-Dose Machine’s revolutionary rotary design allows for a smaller machine footprint, easy canister access and simplified cleaning, as well as the ability to store 144 to 352 canisters depending on the model. It can also package at speeds of up to 65 pouches per minute, making it an efficient addition to any pharmacy or hospital.

“We knew it would meet the needs of our customers in their 80s with multiple prescriptions and for those in their 40s because all medications can be packaged quickly in one place,” said Regel. “Axial® machines remove risk of failed adherence and improper medication management. We knew that by utilizing Axial®, the responsibility is taken off the patients’ plate, making it an easy choice for us.” 

THE RESULTS
With Axial® Multi-Dose Machines, maintaining that relationship with older generations and showcasing the advanced technology to the younger generations is now an attainable goal for the pharmacy. 

“Since we purchased our machine, the support from Euclid Medical Products has been great. The machine is easy to operate and improves our operational efficiency tenfold. Those patients who currently utilize the med sync and med packaging program, no matter the age, agree that Axial® makes keeping track of medications simpler and less stressful,” said Regel. “Our expectation is that once we hit 150 patients utilizing Axial®, the product will be paying for itself. We’re nearly there.”

“We’re also now developing relationships with retirement communities in the area and explaining the power of med packs and med synchronization. These systems are a new concept, so we’re bringing the products to the people, developing relationships with the retirees and their families to establish trust,” said Regel. 

And during COVID-19, Bartlett Prescription Shop wanted to find a way to help their community, especially as the elderly population is more susceptible to the effects of the virus. So, they took their Axial® machine a step further. 

“At the beginning stages of COVID, we developed an immune system support pack all in one easy med pack, thanks to the Axial® machine,” said Regel. “We could help a handful of patients within the hour, and we’ve kept the machine loaded with immune support supplements in a pack for our clients. We’re trying to do our part.” 

“Axial® Multi-Dose Machines will lead Bartlett Prescription Shop into the next phase of pharmacy. We now have a chance at future growth,” said Regel. “Euclid Medical Products gave our small, local pharmacy a competitive advantage in this crowded market. During times like these, that’s needed now more than ever.”  

Interested in the possibilities? Call us at 800.727.2543 or email us at info@euclidmedicalproducts.com to learn more about our Axial® Multi-Dose Machines, our other automated medical packaging equipment, barcoding systems and more.