prescription reordering apps on a mobile phone
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Prescription Reordering Apps – Which one is best for your pharmacy in 2021?

The ideal prescription reordering app is user-friendly, available on Apple & Android, improves your workflow, and integrates not only with your other systems (like your website) but with the GP surgeries’ systems too.

Finding the best prescription reordering app for your pharmacy is an important part of setting up your pharmacy digitally. It allows the patient to nominate you as their pharmacy easily, which secures them to your business and improves your workflow significantly, with regular orders all digitally stored and secured ready for you to process. Data shows that patients who use an app for their repeat prescriptions are loyal to those pharmacies.

From a patients’ point of view, they just want the damn thing to work.

The four apps we’ll review are all great and, by and large, meet those criteria. If you don’t already work with an app, any option will be a marked improvement to your working life. However, there are unique aspects to each app making each more appealing to some pharmacy owners than others.

Obviously, there’s also the option for you to create your own custom app. There is naturally a development cost to that upfront, but it does mean a completely customisable app that does everything you need it to. There’s the added bonus that once you’ve paid for it, it’s yours forever.

In this guide, we highlight the USPs for:
  • The NHS App
  • Healthera
  • MedAdvisor
  • Patient Access

Please note: As of this publication, we are not affiliated with any pharmacy prescription app provider and this has been written with no bias. It is for information purposes and comprises of what we know when doing our research into them on a top-level, some feedback we’ve naturally been given from our clients, and the experience we have in using the apps ourselves. We are by no means indicating one is better over the other and it’s up to you to decide which will be right for your particular business. Furthermore, these apps are in no order of priority and numbered randomly. 

Healthera

Healthera couldn’t really feel more on-trend for the pandemic if it tried. A “direct line” to your pharmacist is not only a great offering for the app, but for you as a pharmacist. With phones ringing off the hook, it’s a frustrating experience for the patient trying and failing to get through to order vital medication, especially if they only have a limited window to call.

The ability to send a message with the same ease as sending any text message as well as ordering repeat prescriptions directly through an app is a big win for the patient – and therefore you as well.

Your Branding (optional extra)

A big plus of Healthera is their White Label option, which is the ability to have their app but with your own branding. This also avoids the problematic issue of sending your patients to an app that shows them your competitors, especially when competitors are more geographically convenient. Healthera also acts as a signpost for your business. If people sign up via Healthera from their GP with no pharmacy in mind, and see your free delivery, you could end up acquiring a new patient. When signing patients up directly, you give them a direct link (or QR code) which takes them straight to your pharmacy on the app (so this doesn’t happen to you!)

Healthera’s White Label option is popular with big pharmacy groups like Weldricks & Alphega.

Clinical Services

Healthera also offers the option to book services online at your pharmacy, which is great functionality at a time when demand is high. It’s a great function if you don’t already have a way for patients to book online. But if you have a booking calendar on your website as well, Healthera’s booking calendar won’t integrate – so monitor carefully to avoid double-bookings. If you have capacity to take two appointments at the same time, it’s great. If you don’t and two people show up at the same time for the same service? Less great.

Carer Mode

A great option catering for people who look after younger or older members of their family. Carer mode allows management of multiple patients’ medication through one log-in.

Registering once as yourself is fine on other apps, but when setting up a Child’s account on the same phone – which you would if, I don’t know, you’re a perfectly normal parent in a perfectly normal scenario – the app has a full-on meltdown. Not with Carer Mode.

Overall, Healthera is a safe horse to back. trusted by so many pharmacies already in the UK. It might not have every feature you could ever wish for, but neither will any mainstream app.

 

Visit the Healthera Website

 

MedAdvisor

MedAdvisor is brand new into the UK market, so if you haven’t heard of them, don’t fret. They’ve arrived on the back of great success in Australia with an offering that rivals any existing app.

Web App

They have a web app and dashboard, meaning elderly patients who aren’t comfortable with mobile apps can still use the service. I know elderly people don’t tend to need a lot of medication or healthcare, so you could probably ignore that demographic. You know, if going out of business is on your to-do list. Seriously though, even if 25% of your elderly patients used the app instead of calling your pharmacy, imagine how much time that saves your team.

Your Branding (optional extra)

MedAdvisor, like Healthera, also offers the option of White Label apps. So if you’re looking for a branded solution, this is another great option for you. MedAdvisor works in the same way as Healthera, you send your patient a link, which when followed will only show your pharmacy. On other apps, all your competitors and their distance from your patient are displayed for them to select you as their pharmacy. This eliminates a big risk factor if the patient has no real loyalty to your pharmacy that they’ll go elsewhere for more convenience.

Carer Mode

This, as mentioned, is an ace in the hole for your patients, and MedAdvisor comes equipped with this as well.

The ability to register as a Carer and manage your family’s prescriptions is so central to most of your target market, which is mothers. As a general rule, mothers rule the roost when decision-making on a pharmacy so catering for them will always yield positive results.

 

Visit the MedAdvisor website

 

Patient Access

Do you struggle to promote your clinical services? If you do, the first thing you should check out is Google Ads for your pharmacy which is by far the most effective way of getting your services in front of people who need them.

But as well as that, Patient Access is well worth thinking about. Even if you already use another prescription reordering app. Here’s why.

When a patient signs up to Patient Access, the experience is (digitally) the best introduction they could have to the benefits of your clinical services. It’s simple, relevant and beautifully presented.

They’re asked about conditions they have or are interested in, such as quitting smoking. There are blogs, explanations of treatments, and recommendations of local service providers (like you, if you’re registered with Patient Access).

Web App

They have a web app and dashboard, meaning, again, elderly patients are catered to. It’s also got great review questions for the patients when they’re investigating health advice such as asthma. Keeping patients within a regulated healthcare app searching for help for their symptoms is a great holistic solution. Otherwise, they’re left to the whims of the internet, advised to rush to the emergency room for their headache and touch of the sniffles.

Accessing “Patient Access” as a patient…

It’s tragically ironic that, of all the apps I’ve tested as a patient, this is the hardest to access. As well as fingerprint access (which seems fairly secure already) I was asked to set up a memorable word. I set up an 8 character word. At times when signing-in, it has asked me for the 9th character of my 8 character word. Fairly tedious. A quick check of the online reviews suggests this is a recent addition, and wildly unpopular. I’m sure this will get looked at, but it’s always worth bearing in mind that by adopting this software, you are recommending it to patients. A frustrating experience will reflect negatively on you.

Cost

There’s a one-off cost for setup, and Patient Access takes a 15% cut of the price of any clinical service that is booked through their app. But 85% of a sale is better than 100% of no sale. Patient Access is another source of referrals for you to potentially grow your business.

 

Visit the Patient Access Website

 

NHS App

If you want a trusted name, look no further. One mention of the NHS sells patients on this as essentially an official part of the process. It’s perfect if you just need a stock offering that does what it says on the tin. It’s hard to distance yourself from an app when something goes wrong if it’s branded to you, or if the patient never heard of it but you recommended they use it. If something goes wrong with the NHS App, it’s unlikely you’ll be associated negatively. Public perception will just be that it’s the “NHS” in general, not you specifically.

It also makes it possible for anyone to nominate you as their pharmacy, as the NHS App doesn’t rely on the GP’s IT enabling this option.

Being the NHS comes with its drawbacks though. As it’s publicly funded, the internal processes for app updates may well be slower than a private company. Features that aren’t seen as mainstream won’t be available through this app, as the NHS App will cater to the majority.

Web App

The NHS has a web app which as previously discussed for Medadvisor, is a critically good inclusion. Even if people are comfortable with using mobile devices, sometimes it’s just more convenient to use a desktop. Having more ways to access your medication is always a benefit.

Lengthy Setup

Some see it as a positive, some unnecessarily fidgety. With the NHS App, patients must prove their identity before reordering prescriptions. This is great to reduce fraud, but it may also increase patient frustration with the setup process. This could dissuade them from using the service altogether.

You’re on the NHS App whether you like it or not

This is the bare minimum you should recommend to your patients, as it’s an option you’ll already be featured on. This gives patients the ability to nominate you for EPS and order their repeat prescriptions electronically without you investing anything into the service.

 

An up and coming player…Manage My Meds

Manage My Meds isn’t yet as popular numerically with some of these other players, having only launched in December 2020. But it’s got lots of the features that make these other apps great and is well worth a look in.

 

 

Whichever Prescription Reordering App you go for…

Always consider not only your current parameters but also what your pharmacy will need in the next few years. Once you have a few hundred patients signed up to an app, it isn’t the easiest thing in the world to switch providers. This isn’t a decision to take lightly, as it will significantly impact your business.

Have you been using any of these Prescription Reordering apps for your pharmacy? Finding a solution useful or poor? We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re looking for help in selecting the prescription reordering app for your pharmacy, please get in touch with us. Our Director, Saam, is a pharmacist of 15+ years, and we speak to literally 100’s of pharmacists every week using a variety of different prescription reordering apps, we’re in the know.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest ways of growing your pharmacy business? Subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates, including articles like this one. Be sure to check your email for confirmation and always check our Privacy Policy before signing up. 

 

 

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Pharmacy PMR Systems
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Pharmacy PMR Systems – The Ultimate Comparison Guide

The Patient Medication Record (PMR) world has long-awaited revolution. Is the solution (and the revolution) finally here?

 

PMR Systems – A critical analysis

A PMR system determines the Quality of Life of a pharmacy team.  You don’t want something you use so frequently giving you headaches. But it isn’t just your experience that improves with a good PMR. Your patients’ experience is dependent on a system that enables both communication and efficient service. As we discussed in our guide to choosing an online payment provider, with increasing competition on prescriptions, customer experience is paramount to retaining their business.

The whole EPS system works better for patients, but there is a world of potential for PMR’s to grow to improve customer experience. With automated giants like Amazon Pharmacy wading into the prescriptions market, you can be damned sure they’ll have the best system in place for prescriptions. The focus on clinical services is pivotal. Your PMR should both free up Pharmacists’ time and make patients’ lives easier.

Industry-Leading Pharmacy PMR Systems in the UK

All the providers we’ll look at in this article are “industry-leading”, using their own words. So, it isn’t really clear who the industry leader is. Or what they even mean when they say that. Is industry-leading the best? Or is it the first to be released? Hopefully, our guide will provide direction and a bit of clarity with what you can expect from each provider. We’ll update this guide routinely so it’s always a useful source for you when you need it.

Don’t forget, you can bookmark this page into your browser by heading to Settings > Bookmarks > Add this Tab.

Does any PMR System fit a modern pharmacy?

The name Patient Medication Record shows the focus of PMR systems. And this way of thinking, along with a lack of cutting-edge competition, held back PMR development (and pharmacies) for some time. You’re undeniably reliant on prescriptions as a baseline to your business and require a system to manage that. But the historic reality of PMR systems was no matter how good they are at managing medication, they’re focused on – and therefore limited to – managing medication. As a business, when your infrastructure is limited, so is the service you’re able to offer. If you want to grow (or you’re forced into it by ever-decreasing prescription margins) into something more than a dispensing pharmacy, you’ll naturally need more from the system you’re using.

There’s an issue with complaining about PMR’s when thinking about the system that a modern pharmacy needs. The intuitive thing to do is to think of what already exists and try to make it better, but that’s like trying to make a plane and starting with a car. You can slap a pair of wings on a car, but it’s going to take you a lot longer to make it fly than it would if you just started from scratch and designed a plane.

via GIPHY

Think about designing a system from scratch to manage your patients now. How would it function? What is it capable of doing? Understanding that the focus of a modern pharmacy is now multi-dimensional, the chances are you wouldn’t even call it a Patient Medication Record System, but a Patient Management System. (Or a Patient Integrated Care System, if only for the abbreviation PICS)

With all that in mind, what’s the best existing PMR system on the market?

Which PMR System does the best job?

Whilst no system is perfect for every pharmacy (one size rarely fits all), which existing provider comes closest to ticking all the boxes you want?

The five PMR systems we’ll review all offer unique elements to improve your working life. However, there are unique aspects to each system making each more appealing to some pharmacy owners than others. We’ll also include the company’s own video (where available) to give them a chance to speak for themselves.

Please note: As of this publication, we are not affiliated with any PMR System provider and this has been written with no bias whatsoever. It is for information purposes and comprises of what we know when doing our research into them on a top-level, some feedback we’ve naturally been given from our clients and the experience our CEO has had in using some of the systems as a pharmacist himself. We are by no means indicating one is better over the other. It’s up to you to decide which will be right for your particular business. Furthermore, these PMR systems are in no order of priority and numbered randomly. 

1. Invatech – Titan PMR

The Titan PMR from Invatech was created in 2016 by their CEO Tariq Muhammed to remedy some of the headaches he’d faced when running his pharmacy group. You can tell its creator has experience running a business, as it addresses a lot of business headaches. It’s a PMR, but crafted with business management in mind.

An immediately striking element of Titan is it’s clearly created to be used by anyone. One of the biggest issues in any business adopting new technology is “buy-in” from the staff, and the training needed to get them using it effectively.

Titan’s system undoubtedly reflects modern software expectations. Anyone familiar with using a smartphone will find the system intuitive.

The Titan system has individual logins that are completely customisable for the users too. This means that your pharmacy technician and Superintendent Pharmacist can work with information and functions that make sense to their job role, whilst working from the same system

The genius behind Titan’s PMR is that it brings in modern business solutions, such as the ability to monitor individual performances such as completion rates and mistakes. This allows for detailed performance analysis and gives good insights into where training is required.  On the topic of training, the system has an inbuilt guide/tour of how to use its functions – so face-to-face training isn’t required. However, it’s important that staff understand the full functionality of what’s available to them. Quickly skipping through the tutorials will lead to inefficiencies down the line.

Integrations

It integrates, unsurprisingly, with Invatech’s Care Home Management system, Atlas PCS. If you already work with Atlas, it makes sense to adopt Titan too in the same way if you have an Apple or Microsoft laptop you’re better off with the same make of phone. The compatibility outweighs so many other pros and cons.

However, Invatech claim Titan PMR should be able to integrate with any healthcare app created using approved structures. This relies on other healthcare apps being built in the right way. So there might not be a raft of apps you can immediately integrate with, but it’s certainly future-proof.

Titan’s USP

Where it gets really exciting with Titan PMR though, is the “building blocks” approach to a tailored system. As much as one size can never fit all, this building blocks feature allows you to create different models of PMR for different models of pharmacy. As such, with a bit of time investment, you can mould your PMR system to your exact business model. Their claim “if you can imagine it, Titan can probably do it.”

A new player in the PMR market, Titan PMR has reimagined what PMRs should be. Whilst it might not be the complete package just yet, that might only be because other healthcare applications need to catch up to the level of integration that Titan can offer.

Titan’s offering is focused on helping Independent Community Pharmacies, mainly as that’s CEO Tariq Muhammed’s vision. “Leaving good pharmacists to do great services,” is the mantra behind his foray into technology in the pharmacy industry. So, provided you’re an Independent Community Pharmacy, Titan could well be the PMR for you.

Cool features
  • Integratable API – Allows for integration with other systems
  • Forward-Thinking/Future-Proof – The reason for Titan’s creation was a frustration with the existing systems. As long as Titan doesn’t become the very thing it set out to beat, it looks like a strong horse to hitch your wagon to. The way it’s designed stands it in good stead for the future.
  • Building Blocks Model allows you to model your system on your pharmacy model, rather than try and fit one to the other.
  • Flexible Support Channels including WhatsApp – Customer service is obviously a huge factor. Whilst we can’t attest to the service provided, the flexibility to speak to people is a good sign.
Considerations
  • Only recently released. With other more established PMR’s, it’s easier to find and read the experiences of people like you with reviews and testimonials online. Whilst there’s no telling if there are user issues, you’d be an early adopter at this stage, and therefore open to potential teething issues and bugs. It’s also unclear what the customer service is like. However, their eMAR product Atlas has positive Trustpilot reviews.

Find out more about the Titan PMR system on their website

 

2. Cegedim Rx

Cegedim Rx is already a big player in the PMR world when it comes to Medication Management. But the big advantage – the name. Pharmacy Manager. Not just the name, obviously. (Though it does sound like a fun computer game.) The benefit is more in how Cegedim Rx views Pharmacy Manager. Which is to say, they also view it as something that should reflect the whole of Pharmacy, including the incorporation of delivering services.

Switching PMR systems can be an administrative pain, so if you’re looking to switch to a new provider, it’s worth thinking about the future as well as the present. What’s the company’s vision for their PMR offering? Does their vision match up to your strategy as a pharmacy?

User Feedback

Cegedim Rx appears keen to listen to feedback from their users, and understand the direction Pharmacy as an industry is headed to develop their product into one that works for its users.

This is taken from the Cegedim Rx website:

“We have embedded our commitment into a product experience goal that commits to delivering products and solutions that precisely match our customer’s needs, enhance the UK healthcare systems, and facilitate improvements in patient care and outcomes.”

It’s promising to see both pharmacies and patients involved in product development.

Interface

Aesthetically, the Cegedim Rx is great to look at, having undergone a facelift in a recent update.

The dashboard design is useful, with a useful colour-coding alert system to prioritise tasks. It has good links to NHS services, including the prescription tracker and NHS mail within Pharmacy Manager, meaning find out what stage prescriptions are at without having to leave your PMR.

We know that Cegedim have big plans to advance Pharmacy Manager even further so in terms of innovation, they are helping community pharmacy evolve in its operations. This is a strong feature of the PMR and the company as a whole.

Integrations

As mentioned, Pharmacy Manager is integrated with the NHS Prescription Tracker, which makes handling customer calls a breeze, as you’ll always know exactly where a prescription is up to.

If getting and giving great customer service is your main priority, Cegedim might be your best option.

Cool features
  • User Interface – With a focus on making sure you never forget anything ever again by making the important things visible.
  • Reliability – Cegedim Rx support is widely praised for their communications and the system held up even during the Pandemic.
  • Updates – Cegedim Rx are constantly listening to customer feedback and improving the system with updates which improves the issues that people want fixed.
Considerations
  • Consider the functionality of this PMR and compare it to other PMRs. Does it have the required variety of spec to do what you want to do in the pharmacy?

Check out Pharmacy Manager on Cegedim Rx’s website

 

3. Rx Web

Rx Web divides people more than pineapple on pizzas. Whichever way you slice it, (#PizzaPunIntended) Rx Web is a forward-thinking solution. But can they deliver? (end of pizza puns)

Cloud-based

A cloud-based platform enabling access from any PC or terminal instantly is a smart solution for pharmacies with more than one branch, or even just a large pharmacy with lots of terminals.

Cloud-based is so much better for so many reasons – there’s a reason Microsoft & Apple use it.

Imagine your pharmacy was broken into and your IT equipment was stolen. On the cloud, your data is still safe and accessible. Storing your data on your hardware isn’t secure.

Multiple pharmacies under the same umbrella? Working from the cloud makes it as though you’re working as one. Instead of your teams working in isolated branches, the cloud is a tree to connect them all. This means if you have a branch that’s busier than another, the one that isn’t as busy can be taking the prescription workload off the busy branch. Not only that, but the prescriptions will appear to be coming from the pharmacy they were ordered from. From the consumer’s perspective, it’s seamless.

Features

Rx Web gets a lot of praise for its range of features, even from its critics. It even includes some Clinical Service support, though the list of supported services is limited to basic services like MURs, Flu Jabs, and Health Checks.

It also integrates with Care Home systems and its features around Care Homes specifically are quite extensive.

Whilst it’s great that they offer patient communications, and even give you 200 free texts per month, but it feels like 200 free texts won’t get you very far. Meaning there’s almost certainly additional costs in there if you wanted to truly use this system. They also, bafflingly, offer fax functionality with this. I don’t know how many of your customers have a fax machine sat at home. But perhaps you’re a pharmacy set in the ’80s. If you are, look no further. Rx Web has fax support.

Price

Trying to get exact prices from PMR companies is a tricky task, especially as they often range based on individual needs. However, Rx Web has a reputation as the cheapest on the market, so if reducing your outgoings is your main priority, Rx Web might be your first port of call. We believe they only charge per pharmacy, so even if you have 10 terminals in your pharmacy, you pay once.

Reliability

Where Rx Web seems to fall down is on its system’s integrity. Whilst some users report no issues, there are a lot of negative comments around Rx Web’s ability to run properly at busy times, suggesting their server isn’t big enough to cope. The technical support also receives mixed reviews. Their contract claims to be simple, but there are reviews that claim there is also no cooling off period. So simple it might be, but make sure you check what you’re signing up to. All things considered, it looks like a bit of a lottery when you sign up with Rx Web. You might be a big winner, but you might be a big loser.

Depends if you like pineapple on your pizza, I guess.

Cool features
  • Low Fees – Users often remark on Rx Web being the cheapest on the market
  • Features – Especially considering the price point, Rx Web provides a lot of bang for your buck.
Considerations
  • Server unreliability is concerning – though apparently, the servers are better now than they were.
  • Ranging reviews on Customer Service implies it depends who you get through to on the day.

Check out Rx Web’s website for more details on its features

 

ProScript Connect

ProScript’s reputation is that they’re the best PMR system, but also the most expensive. Logically, that makes sense. If something frees up more of your time, it’s more valuable. But how exactly does ProScript Connect do this? And does it stand up to the new kid on the block?

This video isn’t a promotional video, and it’s four years old. But it’s the only thing available and might give you some idea of what to expect with ProScript Connect.

Works even when your broadband goes down

With even the best internet prone to disconnect for no discernable reason, the idea that your PMR system (and effectively with it,  your ability to do prescriptions) is tied to such whims is less than ideal, to say the least. ProScript’s “Constant Connect” automatically connects you to your NHS network via a 3G/4G connection in the event of a broadband failure. Pretty useful, if things like working are important in your pharmacy.

Clinical Services Provisions

Helpfully, there aren’t specifications for exactly which PGDs are covered, but that suggests you could feasibly assume that all PGD’s are included. The fact that there’s a Service Hub included does make ProScript Connect a really useful engine if you’re big on clinical services.

Wide Range of Features

Many of the benefits of ProScript come through the many modules they’ve developed as a part of the software, as above. Without going through them all one by one, it’s safe to say that each one is useful and thought through.

Communications wise it’s the same as many other providers, where you are able to send email or text notifications to patients…but again, what we’d really love is the option to text message back. Whilst it’s not imperative for prescriptions, communicating whether a patient needs to cancel or rearrange an appointment is valuable automation that just isn’t catered for at present.

Multi-tasking

It seems simple, but the ability to open tabs and work with different windows is useful. It makes so much sense in fact, that it makes any system where you can’t do that, look a bit silly.

Interoperability

Does ProScript Connect play well with others? Integrations are a big feature of what ProScript is aiming to do, with a big focus on linking with NHS systems like GP Connect & SystmOne. It uses SNOMED CT, which is required now by all NHS systems and enables information to be shared accurately without duplicitous re-entry by hand.

They also have an open API, so any third-party apps can build their apps to work with ProScript. (whether or not they do that will be down to the third-parties). But it’s certainly a plus point from ProScript. Integrations are so important for saving time on tedious admin tasks.

Cool features
  • Integrations – With a focus on working well with NHS systems, there’s no doubt that ProScript plays well with other applications you might have or want.
  • 3G/4G connection to cover internet failure is a big win.
  • Tabs! I get they aren’t the tidiest, but tabs are so useful to work with.
Considerations
  • Cost – ProScript is high-end, which means paying high-end prices. But you get what you pay for in life.

See more details of Proscript Connect’s modules on the EMIS website

 

Positive Solutions

Positive Solutions isn’t just a PMR provider. Although their PMR system is a solid standalone offering, what probably makes them the right option for you is if you’re interested in their Integrated Pharmacy Solution. It’s a fairly comprehensive solution including an ePoS system that completely integrates with your PMR. They offer other products like Analyst Head Office, which gives analysis on things like retail sales, profits, dispensing volumes across pharmacies, etc. Or Analyst Handout, demonstrated in the video below, which takes the power of your PMR into mobile terminals.

 

 

Switching PMR systems can be an administrative pain, so if you’re looking to switch to a new provider, it’s worth thinking about the future as well as the present. What’s the company’s vision for their PMR offering? Does their vision match up to your strategy as a pharmacy?

No Dispensing Downtime

Just like ProScript, Positive Solutions understand the frustrations with system downtime on a PMR, and provide 3G coverage if and when your broadband fails.

Incorporates Delivery Mates into your PMR

Your driver simply scans all the prescription bag label barcodes with the eDelivery app and the app does everything else.

Maps the best route with all traffic information for the driver and this includes keeping your patient informed of estimated delivery times. A dashboard in the pharmacy gives you all the information you need. It’s especially useful managing volunteers, proving you have a robust system to protect against fraud.

Extensive training

Most PMR suppliers tend to opt for either face-to-face training or online training. Positive Solutions have both. Face-to-face training upon installation, and an eLearning platform for training whenever it’s needed.

Integrates with your Robots

If you’ve got a robot or an automated collection point, Analyst PMR can be synced up with them so there’s no gap in your workflow.

Cool features
  • Services Functionality – With a focus on making sure you never forget anything ever again by making the important things visible.
  • Good All-Rounder – Positive Solutions provides almost all the benefits and features other providers offer. Sometimes not as good, but at least the functionality is there.
  • Reliable Customer Service – With instant responses during working hours, so if something goes wrong it can get looked at straightaway.
  • Reports – Included in the price, unlike with some PMRs.
Considerations
  • Some of the extra products in their ecosystem appear to come as standard in other PMR packages.

Check out Analyst PMR on Positive Solutions’ website

So which is the best PMR for your pharmacy?

That’s the golden question. Which one is right for your pharmacy business? 

It depends on how your business operates but we think the following are major reasons to influence your decision:

  • Customer service – Stuff goes wrong. It’s inevitable. The PMR record will not load or the system my go down. And making sure that the PMR company are responsive and accessible is key. If providers have limited access or don’t get back to you, simply avoid them.
  • User reviews – Does the company have social proofing? What do your colleagues say about them? Word of mouth goes a long way but if they are actively generating reviews online, this is a very good indication to go with them.
  • Integration – Does the software integrate with other third-party providers? Or is the software totally inflexible? If providers aren’t collaborating with other companies or their software/hardware does not integrate with other solutions, you’re limiting yourself.
  • Innovation – If when having a demo of the PMR provider, the user interface still looks like that from Windows 95,  it may be a sign that the company lacks forward vision. Is the PMR provider using cloud-based or hybrid solutions, modern interfaces and state of the art software and hardware? If yes, then this is a green light.
  • Time-saving – The ultimate limiting factor for a pharmacist today is time. Will the provider will save you time in your operations and streamline workflow? This is an extremely important factor. More time = less admin = more room to develop and grow your business.

Have you been using a particular PMR system for your pharmacy? Finding a solution useful or poor? We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re looking for help in selecting the PMR for your pharmacy, please get in touch with us. Our Director, Saam, is a pharmacist of 15+ years, accompanied by the fact that we speak to literally 100’s of pharmacists every week using a variety of different PMR solutions, we’re in the know.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest ways of growing your pharmacy business? Subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates, including articles like this one. Be sure to check your email for confirmation and always check our Privacy Policy before signing up. 

 

 

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distance selling pharmacy website
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Distance Selling Pharmacy Websites – What the New Regulations Mean for You

The new Distance Selling Pharmacy Websites Regulations come into effect on both January 1st and then April 1st, 2021. What do the regulations mean for you? We break everything down so you understand what you need to do.

 

We’re working in collaboration with Rushport Advisory, a leading consulting firm covering the pharmacy market. They have helped us curate this article and are guiding us to deliver the most robust and legally compliant distance selling pharmacy website on the market.

What do the new regulations say?

The exact wording for the Distance Selling Pharmacy Website Regulations are as follows:

28B An NHS pharmacist in respect of distance selling premises must ensure that there are arrangements in place at those premises which enable a person performing pharmaceutical services to communicate confidentially with a person accessing pharmaceutical services—

(a) by telephone or another live audio link; and

(b) via a live video link.”

This regulation is effective from January 1st, 2021.

28C “An NHS pharmacist (P) in respect of distance selling premises must ensure that P has a website for use by the public for the purpose of accessing pharmaceutical services from those premises, on which there is an interactive page, clearly promoted to any user of the website when they first access it, which provides public access to a reasonable range of up to date materials that promote healthy lifestyles by addressing a reasonable range of health issues.

This regulation comes into effect on April 1st, 2021.

What does that mean for you?

A closer look at 28B

Most pharmacies already have a telephone line and internet access already. But the requirement of confidentiality from the pharmacy premises means you need an area where a member of the pharmacy staff cannot be overheard when communicating with patients.

As well as communicating by phone (or an “audio link”), note the regulations state AND via a “live video link”. This means you need to have both options available. This is fairly straightforward to implement provided you have a laptop and internet connection through apps like Zoom, Teams or Skype.

video and audio call software for patient consultation

We’re in the digital age. So people expect digital communication.

A closer look at 28C

This regulation is a little bit trickier to get into place and is also quite vague. Terms like you must provide access to a “reasonable range” of up-to-date materials clearly depends on who you are reasoning with.

The local NHS area teams ultimately will decide and so it’s likely to be their standards you must match. But don’t try and match the requirements. Blow them out of the water. The difference isn’t big between the two and will ultimately benefit your business anyway.

Here’s everything you need to comply with Regulation 28C

A website

Most DSP’s still do not have a website, believe it or not. If you’re operating without one, you need to get one.

An “interactive page”

A website that doesn’t have interactive pages is known as a “brochure website” because it performs in the exact same way as a brochure or leaflet. That is to say, it doesn’t really do anything other than display information. An interactive web page makes the user actively engage with the site (think links to other resources.)

distance selling pharmacy website

Your website needs to be interactive. We design the best interactive modern sites.

The interactive page must be “clearly promoted” to any user of the website when they land on your site. This is another term in the regulations that is open to interpretation with both terms.

What does clearly mean?

It could just be that you don’t hide links to the page within a huge body of text (though it’s unclear why you’d ever do that.)

In which case, having it as part of the “menu” of your website, accessible on every page would meet that requirement.

What does promoted mean?

Do you have to draw attention to it? If so, a banner on every page encouraging visitors to the interactive page would meet the requirements.

It’s highly unlikely that the regulatory teams will nit-pick, provided you show them a modern website with a great user experience (ie. it’s intuitive) and up-to-date information (rather than NHS regulations from 2013 – we’ll talk about that now).

A good range of health content

Pharmacy Services

DSP’s need to showcase their service offering

This is where you may get frustrated. Creating content is a time-consuming process when you’re not familiar with it. Naturally, you want to be doing other things with your time. Outsourcing this work will save you a headache. We can help you with this (and the whole project) in a cost-effective way because we live and breathe health content and create pharmacy websites every day.

It’s tempting to simply copy and paste content from other pharmacy websites, but resist this temptation. Copied and pasted content is traceable and you could find yourself in breach of copyright laws with regards to someone’s intellectual property.

Embrace the compliance, improve your service

The crux of the new regulations is there’s no hiding as a product-only pharmacy, where you do little more than package prescriptions. Offering a channel of communication for consultation with the patients using your service is now mandatory.

You’re expected to carry this into your website. It can’t be just a prescription production line anymore.

We mentioned this before, but ultimately these Distance Selling Pharmacy website regulations improve your service to patients. That isn’t something to begrudge, but something to embrace. Realise that with an amazing website that is simple for your patients to use, those same patients will show you more loyalty.

Looking for help in meeting the new Distance Selling Pharmacy website regulations?

Please get in touch with us. As we offer website services almost exclusively to pharmacies, we have all the knowledge already of what you’ll need to get set up.

We’ll be glad to help.

 

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