A Hybrid Approach to Pharmacy Care

Sometimes patients can’t make it into your pharmacy, whether they are not feeling well, are out of town, or they feel more comfortable at home. Whatever the reason, it’s important that patients can access the care (and medications) they need, quickly and safely. To do this, it’s essential that pharmacies adopt a hybrid approach, offering both in-person and virtual care.

Independent pharmacies aren’t the only ones making changes either. Many national retailers are making big investments to provide better access to care as well. Most recently, Amazon Care announced its plan to expand their in-person and virtual care services. They join competitors, Walgreens and CVS Health, who also plan on making some big investments in their outpatient care services this year. In addition to providing virtual care nationwide, Amazon Care will be adding in-person services in at least 20 new cities. Plus, they plan to rollout new virtual care options for nursing homes too. By offering both in-person and remote options, the expansion will enable them to provide more patients with convenient, flexible care. 

Over the last few years, we’ve seen just how important virtual care services are. They’ve allowed pharmacies and other healthcare facilities to safely provide care throughout the pandemic and help patients stay connected with their providers. This ultimately leads to better medication/treatment adherence and health outcomes. While in-person services will always be needed, it’s clear that virtual care is here to stay. It’s not just a matter of safety either. Patients have come to rely on and enjoy the flexibility virtual care offers.

For independent pharmacies to compete, it is essential that they offer a hybrid of in-person and virtual care services.  

Fortunately, independent pharmacies don’t have to make substantial investments or changes to their daily workflows to offer virtual care. BestRx Pharmacy Management Software offers pharmacies access to fully integrated virtual care services. For example, our integration with Doxy enables pharmacies to offer patients free, HIPAA compliant teleconferencing services that:

• Are easy to use (patients don’t need to register or download an app to join a call)

• Only require patients to enter the pharmacy’s private meeting room URL into a web browser to be automatically directed to the meeting waiting room

• Allow pharmacies to meet with their patients to discuss their medications and treatment plan, without any PHI being collected or data being stored after the call has ended

Our comprehensive virtual care functionality, also enables patients to:

• Communicate with the pharmacy remotely with a secure messaging app

• Request refills or appointments online through the pharmacy’s website

• Submit contactless payments for OTC and prescription medications

• Complete their consults and medication therapy management (MTM) appointments

BestRx continues to add new features and integrations to support the needs of independent pharmacies and help them to safely provide care. Learn more about our integration with Doxy and all the virtual care services available through our easy-to-use Pharmacy Management Software by requesting a free demo today.