Walgreens

[Oxycotin]

Hey everyone. I was working today and one of the pharmacists that i work with said that a nurse told him that walgreens was planning to ask legislators to amend the law that require pharmacists to be on the premises of a pharmacy in order to dispense medications. He even wrote a e-mail to Pharmacists Letter about it. I'm not one to give into rumors but I have to ask those who work at Walgreens..have you guys heard anything about this? I looked online and haven't found anything (which is probably a good thing). I don't know which state(s) this will happen in if in fact this is true so I couldn't give you guys any more info about it.

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[Sosumi]

I'm not sure if this is what you're referring to, but when I was interviewing with Walgreens, the district manager said they've implemented a system where another slower store can verify prescriptions to help out the busier stores. They've been approved in some states to do this and are trying to get it done in Maryland. Basically, the script at the busier Walgreens pharmacy will be scanned and another less busy Walgreens pharmacy will use their techs to enter the prescription and the pharmacist to verify it to speed up the process at the other pharmacy.

 

[patmcd]

I'd say it would be extremely unlikely that they would allow rx's to be dispensed without a pharmacist in the pharmacy and dumb. A pharmacist needs to do the final verification.

 

[PharmD2MD]

I'd say it would be extremely unlikely that they would allow rx's to be dispensed without a pharmacist in the pharmacy and dumb. A pharmacist needs to do the final verification.

I think that is still the intention. Several of my friends work for Walgreens. Apparently they have a 2 step verification process for new rx's: 1) verify that that the prescription is entered correctly, 2) verify the actual pills in the bottle (the final check). This is probably oversimplifying it, but I believe they are trying to shunt some of the step 1 work to slower stores and even to pharmacists who want to work at home. There are still bugs in the system to be worked out though. Again, this is second info from my buddies.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Trust me lots of sneaky thing are in the works. Wags, Wal-Mart and CVS would love nothing more than to get measures just like this approved. There have been rumors for years about central fill, ATM machines, remote pharmacist verification, counseling kiosks. During Hurricane Katrina Wal-Mart received temporary state approval to do remote pharmacist verification to speed filling of prescriptions for stores that were closed due to the hurricane. They used this time to perfect their system and are waiting for approval to implement it.

It's all done under the guise of the pharmacist shortage. In reality it's a business decision on their part. To any great extent pharmacy chains cannot control the price they pay for drugs. What they can control is their labor costs and pharmacista are a huge labor cost.

Honestly, I do not believe remote verification is some back room rumor. It is real and it is going to happen. Scroll down to the bottom of this link and read about the Script Pro telepharmacy system.

http://rxinsider.com/pharmacy_remote_order_entry_providers.htm

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Yes, Walgreens already uses remote verification for step 1 of the verification process.

I don't see how step 2 could be done remotely, since someone has to actually see what's in the bottle and check it before it goes out. At least not without significant technological changes and upgrades.

Kroger is using a central fill center for refills in my area. I'm actually surprised that Walgreens hasn't implemented one.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Yes, Walgreens already uses remote verification for step 1 of the verification process.

I don't see how step 2 could be done remotely, since someone has to actually see what's in the bottle and check it before it goes out. At least not without significant technological changes and upgrades.

Kroger is using a central fill center for refills in my area. I'm actually surprised that Walgreens hasn't implemented one.

I am really suprised this is not more wide spread. A company could cut their pharmacist staffing needs by 1/4 to 1/2 if they used a central fill pharmacy. I think its just a matter of time before this becomes the standard.

As far as step 2 two being done remotely. Did you check out the link in my post above concerning the script pro telepharmacy system? Thats how you do step two remotely. The technology is already there.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I am really suprised this is not more wide spread. A company could cut their pharmacist staffing needs by 1/4 to 1/2 if they used a central fill pharmacy. I think its just a matter of time before this becomes the standard.

As far as step 2 two being done remotely. Did you check out the link in my post above concerning the script pro telepharmacy system? Thats how you do step two remotely. The technology is already there.

I'm aware that the technology already exists, but integrating that technology into existing pharmacies would be labor and cost intensive. Could it be done? Sure. I just don't think it will be widespread anytime soon. There would also be significant effort needed to get the state boards and the public to accept this.

Central fill has not cut pharmacist staffing for Kroger in Louisville by that much. I don't know exact numbers, but I know that the district is still experiencing a pharmacist shortage. They have a whole army of pharmacists working at Central Fill at night. What they have fewer of there is technicians, because they purchased a robot that does most of the tech work.

 

[kevdawg]

Massachusetts Wags already do up-front verification at remote locations based on pick-up times. The problem is that the busier stores end up verifying for the slower stores, due to the fact that there are usually 2 Rph's on and one usually concentrates on up front verification while the other does product verification. It would work great if the slower stores actually verified when they aren't busy.

 

[GatorRxGirl]

Reason 10,347,384,921 not to work for Walgreens.

 

[pinkyrx]

Kroger is using a central fill center for refills in my area. I'm actually surprised that Walgreens hasn't implemented one.

I'm curious about this... could you explain how the central fill center works with Kroger? Is there a pharmacist that views the script and meds remotely?

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I'm curious about this... could you explain how the central fill center works with Kroger? Is there a pharmacist that views the script and meds remotely?

It's for refills only. When you call a touch-tone refill into a store that participates in the refill center, you are prompted to say whether you will pick up before or after 2 p.m. the next day. If you select before 2 p.m. the refill is handled at the store. If you select after 2 p.m. the refill request gets forwarded to the refill center (central fill). Central fill works from sometime in the evening to early morning, handling those refill requests.

Central fill is just a closed door pharmacy. It's in a warehouse a little outside Louisville. They use a robot to do most of the filling and labeling. There are pharmacists on site at the Central fill center who do the final check for accuracy, etc. They also handle any "prefilling" issues like DUR, "red screen" which is usually a drug interaction.

After all the refill requests for a particular store are filled, they get put into totes and are delivered by courier to the stores, usually by 1:30 p.m. When they arrive at the store they have to be scanned into the store computer which takes about 30-45 minutes depending on how many there are.

It functions just like a regular pharmacy, but with no customers coming in. Probably a lot like mail order pharmacies. As I mentioned in a previous post, there are quite a few pharmacists working there but not as many technicians because they have the robot.

 

[pinkyrx]

Interesting! Thats for explaining it to me.

 

[ZpackSux]

#1 reason why Hospital Pharmacy is where you should be.

 

[Oxycotin]

It's for refills only. When you call a touch-tone refill into a store that participates in the refill center, you are prompted to say whether you will pick up before or after 2 p.m. the next day. If you select before 2 p.m. the refill is handled at the store. If you select after 2 p.m. the refill request gets forwarded to the refill center (central fill). Central fill works from sometime in the evening to early morning, handling those refill requests.

Central fill is just a closed door pharmacy. It's in a warehouse a little outside Louisville. They use a robot to do most of the filling and labeling. There are pharmacists on site at the Central fill center who do the final check for accuracy, etc. They also handle any "prefilling" issues like DUR, "red screen" which is usually a drug interaction.

After all the refill requests for a particular store are filled, they get put into totes and are delivered by courier to the stores, usually by 1:30 p.m. When they arrive at the store they have to be scanned into the store computer which takes about 30-45 minutes depending on how many there are.

It functions just like a regular pharmacy, but with no customers coming in. Probably a lot like mail order pharmacies. As I mentioned in a previous post, there are quite a few pharmacists working there but not as many technicians because they have the robot.

Interesting. Great info for those who aren't familiar with this!

 

[Hibiclens]

It's for refills only. When you call a touch-tone refill into a store that participates in the refill center, you are prompted to say whether you will pick up before or after 2 p.m. the next day. If you select before 2 p.m. the refill is handled at the store. If you select after 2 p.m. the refill request gets forwarded to the refill center (central fill). Central fill works from sometime in the evening to early morning, handling those refill requests.

Central fill is just a closed door pharmacy. It's in a warehouse a little outside Louisville. They use a robot to do most of the filling and labeling. There are pharmacists on site at the Central fill center who do the final check for accuracy, etc. They also handle any "prefilling" issues like DUR, "red screen" which is usually a drug interaction.

After all the refill requests for a particular store are filled, they get put into totes and are delivered by courier to the stores, usually by 1:30 p.m. When they arrive at the store they have to be scanned into the store computer which takes about 30-45 minutes depending on how many there are.

It functions just like a regular pharmacy, but with no customers coming in. Probably a lot like mail order pharmacies. As I mentioned in a previous post, there are quite a few pharmacists working there but not as many technicians because they have the robot.

Here's my question for those doomsday predicitons about the end of retail pharmacy and/or the chains up to something sneaky....

Patient goes the the doctor, gets prescribed an antibiotic/pain reliever/acute med/, how are they going to get their med the future???

They can't wait for central fill. The chains won't want to inconveince the patient ("customer") by making them drive 30 miles to the nearest store with an on duty pharmacist. As far as I can see, there are still going to have to be a ton of retail pharmacists due to this very scenario.

Don't get me wrong, I am scared to death about the prospects of retail pharmacy in the future. But this is the scenario that keeps my hopes up...I don't see a way the mass-retailers have around this. But if off-site rx checking makes my day easier, thats just awesome....

Thoughts?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Here's my question for those doomsday predicitons about the end of retail pharmacy and/or the chains up to something sneaky....

Patient goes the the doctor, gets prescribed an antibiotic/pain reliever/acute med/, how are they going to get their med the future???

They can't wait for central fill. The chains won't want to inconveince the patient ("customer") by making them drive 30 miles to the nearest store with an on duty pharmacist. As far as I can see, there are still going to have to be a ton of retail pharmacists due to this very scenario.

Don't get me wrong, I am scared to death about the prospects of retail pharmacy in the future. But this is the scenario that keeps my hopes up...I don't see a way the mass-retailers have around this. But if off-site rx checking makes my day easier, thats just awesome....

Thoughts?

I don't know if these are doomsday predictions. Obviously if Walgreens were planning to do any of this (central fill, remote verification, ect.) and their plan was to eliminate pharmacists they would not be building a store on every corner. I am quite sure that in five years every single home in America will be a five minute drive from Walgreens or CVS.

I am all about efficiency and speed. So, I guess if robots, central fill and remote verification makes my job easier than I am all for it. You cannot ignore the fact that this will eliminate some pharmacist jobs. Someday there will not be a pharmacist shortage. Maybe then this will seem like a bigger deal.