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FAQS

 

  1. Is Physician dispensing at the point of care legal?

 

  1. Yes, every physician has the right to dispense medication to his or her own patients.  Only five states have restricted the practice to any great degree (Utah, Montana, New York, Texas and Massachusetts.

 

  1. Do I need a special license to dispense medications out of my office?

 

  1. In some states only a simple Dispensing Practitioners License is required.  The cost is $100. and is renewable with your current sate license.  PharMD will assist you in obtaining this license.  However, in Georgia,  Alabama and most other states, no license is required.

 

  1. Will dispensing medications result in an increased workload for my staff?

 

  1. No additional employees are required.  PharMD Dispensing System was specifically designed for the medical practice.  PharMD will also eliminate significant amounts of non-productive time your staff now spends coordinating between patients and pharmacies.

 

  1. Is it necessary for the physician to personally dispense the medications?

 

  1. In most states, dispensing of medications must be done under the direction of the physician.  Therefore, any member of your staff may actually dispense the medications.  A few states do require the physician to actually give the medication to the patient.

 

Q. How should my staff respond when patients ask out our pricing as compared to their pharmacy?

 

A.  Patients should be advised that the on-site medication prices are normally the same or less than those of retail pharmacies.  However, patients are never required to have their scripts filled by the provider.  Because of the convenience most patients see this as a time saver and reduce the expense of traveling to the pharmacy.

 

Q.  What liability do I assume if I choose to dispense?

 

A.  All medications are safety sealed and in prescription ready format.   You carry the same liability you would if you were to write a prescription to be filled at the pharmacy.

Q.  Does dispensing medications have any effect on my malpractice?

 

A.  As you know physicians are always responsible for medications they prescribe.  It does no matter if the medications are obtained from a pharmacy or from your office. Malpractice Carriers do not charge higher rates for dispensing physicians.

 

Q.  Can Patients with pharmacy cards take advantage of in-office dispensing?

 

A.  Since January 1996 the NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs) has recognized in office dispensing as a legitimate part of the drug distribution system.

 

  1. Isn’t Dispensing Drugs from the physician office too difficult, and time consuming and hard on the staff?

 

  1. Our drug dispensing products and systems have been specifically designed to make the in office dispensing process simple for your staff, fast for your patient and profitable for your practice.  On average, it takes about 90 seconds to process a prescription compared to an average of about 20 minutes at the drugstore.

 

Q.  How much inventory will I need to stock?

A.  PharMD recommends about one month’s supply on hand.  Inventory will be readily available for restocking.  The first order will be based on a one month supply.