Physician Dispensing is a method used by physicians and doctors to provide patients with prescription medication directly, at the point of care, as opposed to the patient going to the pharmacy to get their medicine. In many countries, physician dispensing is a legal right of a doctor, and more often than not, it is heavily regulated. 

Essentially, physician dispensing can be thought of like a one-stop-shop experience, which eliminates the need for the patient to go all the way to a pharmacy and have their prescription filled out. In addition to saving time and cost, it helps improve patient care and outcome in the long run. 

What’s amazing is that advancements in technology have enabled many companies to provide physician dispensing through easily installed and managed automated systems. These intermediaries help provide pre-sealed and pre-labeled options for medication that is commonly prescribed and have efficient and elegant solutions for inventory management, order placement, and other compliance mechanisms. This removes the need for doctors to hire and train personnel or staff, as they can productively manage the running of such a set-up all by themselves. 

Read on to find out about some of the amazing benefits of physician dispensing!

Improving The Effectiveness Of Patient Visits 

When doctors conclude a patient check-up and arrive at a diagnosis, they usually follow it up by prescribing medication. Normally, this involves a trip to the pharmacy to obtain the said medication. In this regard, it is interesting to note that many patients may abandon their prescriptions at the pharmacy. This may harm the health of the patient and severely undermine the treatment plan, resulting in heightened healthcare costs. 

However, with in-house dispensation, these abandonments can be eliminated. With such mechanisms, there can be increased medication compliance as doctors will have the assurance that all patients are receiving the required medication on time. This helps to improve the overall effectiveness of patient visits.

Eliminating The Possibility Of Prescription Errors 

More often than not, errors in dispensation can result in the wrong medicine or incorrect dosage being given to the patient by a pharmacy. This can have catastrophic effects on patient health and overall treatment, with massive potential for deterioration and setback. 

Some examples of errors include pharmacists “guessing” illegible handwriting or any kind of non-standard use of acronyms or abbreviations. Some drugs may have very similar names and may be confused with each other. Dosage may also be misinterpreted because of misunderstood decimals and zeros. 

With the ability to directly handle dispensation, doctors effectively help save patients from the consequences of such errors. They also ensure that the directions of the medication are fully understood by the patient before ingesting the drug. This can have numerous advantages in helping the patient have confidence in their medication, dosage, and treatment plan. 

Enhancing The Comfort Level Of The Patient 

One of the most overlooked benefits of physician dispensing concerns the increased level of patient comfort. Some patients may not be comfortable or confident in purchasing their medication from the pharmacy, especially if that relates to medical conditions such as weight-loss, depression or anxiety. This may delay treatment, and result in medication non-compliance. 

With the rise of physician dispensation, patients may feel safer and secure as they receive the necessary prescription medication during their appointment or visit with the doctor. The impact of doctor-patient confidentiality can bolster patient confidence as they can freely inquire about any confusion or voice reservations regarding treatment methods. The privacy of physician dispensation can be a huge benefit for enhancing the comfort level of a patient with their respective treatment medication. 

Increasing Patient Satisfaction Through Added Convenience 

Some people may face enormous trouble when it comes to visiting the pharmacy. This may include elderly patients, mobility-challenged patients, and also those who have multiple jobs and kids. Additionally, some people may face challenges such as exclusive pharmacies accepting their insurance, which means that they may have to schedule a specific date and time to visit their pharmacy. 

These hindrances demotivate some patients from going to the pharmacies and purchasing their medication and may result in serious health problems. 

In this regard, the convenience of physician dispensation can greatly increase the satisfaction of a patient, therefore creating added incentive to book appointments and seek doctor visits. This can have the advantage of helping retain existing patients, reducing patient churn, and attracting other patients through positive referrals. 

Creating Additional Revenue Stream For Doctors 

Physician dispensation can help generate an added revenue stream for doctors. This is because pharmacies usually mark up the price of medicine to compensate for their services to consumers. Doctors can easily charge the same price and end up earning a profit as a result of in-house medication dispensation. This means that doctors have the ability to provide medication at the same rate as pharmacies, without disrupting a patient’s copayment covered service. 

Some doctors may also benefit from extremely low prices from pharmaceutical representatives who provide doctors with incentives to purchase from them. Others may provide generic medication at low cost, further encouraging doctors to consider the benefits of physician dispensation. 

Helping Save Time And Effort For Both Physicians And Patients 

Physician dispensation can save enormous amounts of time by removing the need for prescription notes, corresponding with the pharmacy, and having to deal with re-prescription in case of non-availability of medicine at the pharmacy. 

Similarly, patients may feel relieved that they save valuable time by not having to make the extra effort of going to the pharmacy. Added to that, they don’t have to worry about alternative options for the prescribed medication in case it is not available at the pharmacy. 

The entire process of physician dispensation ultimately helps doctors expend effort and energy by developing an understanding with their patients. This allows patients to develop trust and confidence in the abilities of their doctors, encouraging them to seek treatment and doctor visits.