Hines Prescription Shop, a locally-owned pharmacy in Barnesville, Georgia, has been in business for more than 40 years. The independent pharmacy has always prioritized patient health and serving the community. After losing a patient to Amazon's PillPack, the business decided to invest in an adherence packaging solution.
After reaching script volume capacity with its old packaging program and feeling the pressure from Amazon, the pharmacy looked to pharmacy automation to solve its problem. Hines found its solution in RapidPakRx™.
"Prior to purchasing the RapidPakRx, we were just manually bubble packaging patients. We were packaging between 35 and 40 people and it was just a constant game of catch up," says Tyler Young, pharmacist at Hines Prescription Shop.
"We chose the RapidPak over the competition because of the all-on-one concept. It had vision inspection, it came with the Eyecon™, and it also allowed us to offer strip packaging without purchasing extra inventory because of the universal cartridges," Young adds.
A More Organized Workflow
As any pharmacist knows, improved workflow translates to better efficiency that impacts pharmacy staff and customers. Young attests to the benefits of realizing better workflow with the RapidPakRx.
"Our workflow now is more organized than with our previous packaging solution; it is a lot easier to keep up with who is actually getting packaged. They are in a set facility and it helps us keep our workflow organized."
Lower DIR Fees and Better Patient Adherence
The RapidPakRx has helped Hine pharmacy's patients improve medication adherence. Improving adherence directly affects patient outcomes, which influence an independent pharmacy's Star ratings.
"Patients are more compliant when they are getting the medications packaged exactly how they are supposed to take it. That in turn improves our Star Ratings and helps lower DIR fees," Young explains.
Getting higher Star ratings can reduce the DIR fees a pharmacy has to pay. DIR fees have a major effect on the profitability of independent pharmacy, so finding ways to minimize the impact helps community pharmacies thrive.
"The RapidPak has helped improve our DIR fees across the board. We were at 3 to 4 stars in each category and now we are anywhere from 4 to 5 stars,” says Young. “That's lowering our DIR fees by a good percentage."
Becoming the Go-To Pharmacy for Doctors
Acquiring the RapidPakRx also helps improve local brand awareness for Hines Prescription Shop, especially for providers in the area.
"We've become their go-to pharmacy for their adherence solutions. We're helping them solve some of their problem patients by getting them synced up, taking their medications correctly, and overall bettering their health, which helps the doctors as well," says Young.
Losing a Patient to PillPack
After making do with manual filling to serve their patients, Young realized that their old system was just not up to the task. Wanting to provide exceptional level of service that the pharmacy was previously known for, Young knew that PillPack would challenge independent pharmacies to change the way they fill prescriptions
"We realized that we needed to get on board with some form of packaging solution after we lost a patient to Amazon. Patients are more likely to stay with us instead of reaching out to a mail-order pharmacy that they have no real contact with."
A common complaint among mail-order pharmacy patients is the lack of personal connection. Patients appreciate the support and advice that only local pharmacists can provide. It is also easier for patients to make changes to their prescription at a local pharmacy, without worrying that their medications will arrive late. Local pharmacists, like Young, can provide the convenience of pouch packaging without all the headaches.
Increased Revenue and More Patients
After implementing an adherence packaging program using the RapidPakRx, the pharmacy was able to get more new patients while realizing a significant reduction in operating costs.
"Right now we are adding 5 to 10 new patients every month. The estimated cost difference between our previous packaging solution and the RapidPak is about 50% savings. Before, it was costing $10 to $15 per patient, just between the cost of materials and labor," says Young.
Using the RapidPakRx, the pharmacy was able to cut costs down to around $7 per patient. This is all due to the lower price of materials for the RapidPakRx, as well as labor savings from increased efficiency, helping pharmacy staff process and inspect jobs more quickly.
More Scripts Per Patient Per Year
Getting more new patients means filling more scripts. Keeping those patients compliant and synced means increased fills per year. Hines Prescription Shop was able to do both.
"Usually, the average [fill] for somebody who is not synced is about 8 to 9 fills per year. Whereas in a sync program and packaging, you can increase that to about 12 to 13 fills per year,” Young explains. Not only are patients feeling healthier, but the improved adherence helps increase profitability per patient.
"Our profit has improved tremendously. Each patient that we've packaged can net anywhere from $50 to $75 dollars. More than just the profit, it has improved patient adherence which is lowering our DIR fees," Young adds.
IRS 179 Savings as an Added Bonus
Since the pharmacy was already looking for an adherence packaging solution to take on Amazon and increase efficiency, taking advantage of the Section 179 tax savings after purchasing automation equipment was "an added bonus," says Young.
"We were able to depreciate the entire cost of the robot, allowing us to save on taxes in the year 2019."
Young recommends the RapidPakRx system over the competition.
"You get the best value for your money,” he explains. “It comes with an all-in-one vision inspection. You don't have to purchase additional equipment and the universal cartridges allow you to not have to purchase additional inventory, which is a nice bonus."
If you would like to learn more about the RapidPakRx and what it can do for your independent pharmacy, speak to an adherence expert at (877) 797-2332or visit our product page
