No matter how much the healthcare industry evolves—adding new technologies, medication options and patient education—poor medication adherence still remains an issue. Nearly half of patients do not take their medications as prescribed, which contributes to worsening health outcomes and increased healthcare costs.
Centralized pharmacy fulfillment—centralized, automated and semi-automated facilities with advanced technology and robotics used to fill and package prescriptions—has the potential to help improve medication adherence, not only by streamlining pharmacy operations and making prescription fulfillment simpler, but also by elevating the role of the pharmacist as a significant healthcare provider and allowing them to provide more direct patient care.
It’s important to first look at the root cause. Why is medication adherence so prevalent? At many pharmacies across the United States, patients experience long wait times and delays when waiting for prescriptions to be filled, which is likely caused by pharmacy staff shortages. When patients encounter prescription delays, it becomes easy to downplay the urgency to get them filled or forget them altogether.
Centralized fulfillment can help to fix these delays because efficient automation fills prescriptions off-site, easing some of the burden on the in-store staff. This could help pharmacies to more readily meet pickup and delivery promises. Even better for patients and pharmacists, some medications can be delivered directly to patients’ homes, greatly improving access and convenience.
Centralized fulfillment centers can also support the use of innovative packaging that can improve medication adherence. This packaging, which can include blister packs and multi-dose systems, organizes medications into clearly labeled compartments and helps patients follow all medication instructions and regimens given by their doctors or pharmacists. This can reduce the risk of missed or incorrect doses for patients.
Additionally, centralized fulfillment can allow pharmacists more time to dedicate to their patients. When the tedious tasks of counting pills and filling vials are completed via automation, pharmacists can have more time to engage in high-value patient interactions, including providing medication consultations that provide support and education for patients. These changes can positively impact medication adherence with improved health outcomes and stronger patient relationships.
As pharmacies continue to adapt to today’s complex healthcare demands, centralized fulfillment offers a practical, scalable solution to one of pharmacy’s hardest challenges: medication adherence. By alleviating operational pressures, enhancing patient access and enabling pharmacists to focus on meaningful patient care, centralized fulfillment streamlines the prescription process and creates a more patient-centered pharmacy experience, benefiting everyone involved.
Want to learn more about centralized fulfillment? Check out one of our whitepapers that takes a deep dive into understanding the benefits of centralized fulfillment. https://iarx.com/understanding-the-value-embracing-the-benefits-of-centralized-fulfillment-for-pharmacists/