As healthcare shifts from an inpatient to an outpatient service model, the demand for telepharmacy solutions is dramatically rising. Hospitals and health systems are engaging with telepharmacy services to expand their pharmacy access around-the-clock, reduce the cost of staffing in-house pharmacists, and improve patient outcomes. At the end of the day, telepharmacy is proving to be a win-win for both hospitals and patients.
Better Patient Outcomes
Clinical pharmacists are best suited to review and optimize patient medication therapies and drive improved patient outcomes. When pharmacists are free to participate in clinical roles, they are able to support a number of initiatives including patient education and medication management.
Each adverse drug event costs a hospital over $9,000 a year.[1] Expanded intervention by a pharmacist reduces costly adverse drug events, improving patient outcomes, and lowering the incidence of hospital readmissions. One study found a 52% reduction in hospital readmissions when pharmacists are involved in the discharge process.[2]
Pharmacists’ involvement in patient care also leads to improved patient satisfaction. According to the American College of Cardiology, HCAHPS scores increase an average of 10% when pharmacists deliver medication education to patients.[3]
CPS Telepharmacy has a team of dedicated clinical pharmacists who provide comprehensive medication management services to patients around the country and work closely with primary care physicians to help drive better patient outcomes.
24/7/365 Pharmacy with Affordable Pharmacy Staffing
Clinical pharmacists are essential to hospitals and health systems, but adding licensed pharmacists to cover the pharmacy 24/7 is expensive. Telepharmacy solutions can provide remote pharmacy coverage by licensed pharmacists at a fraction of the cost of an internal full-time pharmacy employee and can free hospital staff pharmacists to pivot to other clinical roles.
When hospitals are facing staff shortages or unexpected surges in volume, the Telepharmacy team can provide reliable, flexible, and affordable solutions with little notice required. This includes any transitions of care and clinical services that are provided to the hospital.
Telepharmacists are trained on the hospital’s specific formulary, policies and procedures, and function as an integrated part of the hospital pharmacy team. The hospital only pays for the work completed but still benefits from pharmacy collaboration with the in-house pharmacy team.
The CPS Telepharmacy Solutions
CPS Telepharmacy monitors three million medication events a year. Using proprietary technology in conjunction with the hospital’s electronic health record (EHR), pharmacists flag incorrect doses, frequencies, strengths, and medications, and provide real-time data on patients, resulting in fewer adverse drug events, readmissions and emergency room visits.
CPS Telepharmacy functions as a seamless extension of the client’s pharmacy staff, adapting to the specific needs of each facility. Because CPS Telepharmacy team members have experience working in hospital, clinic and retail pharmacy settings, they understand what pharmacies need in order to operate efficiently and engage with patients.
CPS Telepharmacy pharmacists also have training in lean six sigma and other operational systems, which allows them to assist client hospitals and health systems in becoming more effective throughout their operation, not just in processing medication orders and clinical care services.
Learn more about how CPS Telepharmacy can help your enterprise expand pharmacy services 24/7/365, reduce cost and improve patient outcomes by visiting: CPS Telepharmacy.
Click here to view and download our latest CPS Telepharmacy brochure: CPS Telepharmacy Solutions.
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[1] Bates DW, Spell N, Cullen DJ, et al. The Cost of Adverse Drug Events in Hospitalized Patients. JAMA. 1997; 277:307-311.
[2] AJHP, May 2018.
[3] American College of Cardiology, March 2019.
