Pharmacy Service Essay Example for Free

Pharmacy Service EssayAt each hour, tech took handwritings from that hours slot and entered every required data into pharmacy information system (so no one looked at script until 1 hour before pickup) Info logged in Patient disturb info Doctor contact info Third party payor info policy companies, employers Drug name Dosage Number of doses Number of refills System performed an automated Drug Utilization disability over Automated check of script against each other prescriptions in CVS database for longanimous looking for harmful drug interactions and appropriateness of drug for patient given age, weight, gender, etc. Hard Stop = fulfillment process cannot proceed until DUR reviewed by pharmacist if automated review reveals any potential problems Hard Stop Good for patient safety Hard Stop Bad for slowing down process, lowering efficiency Insurance check was done after DUR. Checking to make sure insurance still valid, script matches drugs on formulary, customer not trying to refill too soon, etc. In most cases, script would still be alter even if there was a problem with insurance customer would simply be told to pay full amount at pickup.Potential Data gateway Problems Tech couldnt read handwriting on script, No refills allowed on script (6%), DUR hard stop (20%), Insurance problems (17%) Production Scripts were filled by pharmacy technicians Potential Production Problem Insufficient inventory patient wouldnt find out until pick-up that drug wasnt available Quality Assurance druggist reviewed each script to make sure it was filled correctly. First priority is customer safety Potential Quality Assurance Problem None identify Pickup Bags stored in pickup bea in alphabetical order until customer came for pickup.Potential Pickup Problems Many, including staff couldnt find script, unauthorized refill, script not covered by insurance customer asked to pay full price, script not ready (waiting for doctor or insurance call-back or queue backed-up). Worst between 5-7 p. m. long lines of angry customers hard to get staff to work that shift. 6. How can IT help with streamlining the process at CVS pharmacies? Get Teams to throw in up with a solution to problems in fulfillment process keeping 3 goals in mind 1) Doesnt degrade safety at all 2) Decreases waiting time 3) Improves customer satiscircumstanceion What CVS did to improve fulfillment processDrop finish, data entry, insurance check all done while customer is present. Data entry completed at drop-off while customer was still there made it easier to verify customer insurance information. Insurance check is now done with customer present. Used to be theyd just make sure your name, address, and birth date were on prescription and let you go. At local CVS, there is a new drop-off window away from cash register where pick-ups are done. Clerks enter data into computer while you are still there. CVS was missing the opportunity to identify and resolve problems early in the pro cess, when the customer is still present.Under old system, no one would look at script until 1 hour before pick-up not enough time to resolve any problems. Clerk asks for best number to reach customer in case of a problem, which is a change from the past. Staff can also inform customer about insufficient inventory at drop off instead of customer finding out when they come back for pick-up. Automated instock check. Also, box that held prescriptions was replaced by an online virtual queue, which can be displayed on all workstations in the pharmacy. Virtual queue tells techs and pharmacist what prescriptions to work on filling next. 2) Production prescription is filled by tech.No change here techs have constantly been the ones to fill the prescriptions. 3) DUR and QA done by pharmacist in single step. DUR process was folded into Quality Assurance step DUR no longer part of Data Entry. two DUR and QA are done after prescription is filled. DUR should not be done when customer is p resent dont want customer to get the archetype that the drug could be harmful because they might be less likely to take it. Also, DUR is done at pharmacists station during QA more cost-effective use of pharmacists time to check filled prescription for accuracy and deal with any problems revealed during automated DUR.However, pharmacists could argue that it makes no sense, and is in fact dangerous to fill prescription before DUR is completed. PSI team had to sell the new process using communication efforts that were persuasive and effective. Also, changes were mandatory, not optional, so team used both hard sell and soft sell techniques to win pharmacists over. There were a total of 7 elements in the PSI program that all CVS pharmacies had to adopt they couldnt pick and choose among the 7. 4) PickupWhen there is a problem discovered with a script, an Action Note is filled out so that staff manning Pickup can adequately explain the problem to the customer, based on what the Action Note says. Case highlights ITs principle capabilities Design normalisation Monitoring Case also points out concerns that changes in process will be resisted by pharmacists, even though the new process changes no responsibilities or rights of pharmacists. This was a top-down change that was necessary to improve customer service.