Final Policy and Procedure SubmissionIt is time to synthesize the elements of your Policy and Procedure into a document. Your document should be a 3-4-page paper, written in APA format, which draws up

Program Reflection and Industry Trends and Challenges

Vondra Wesley

Rasmussen College

Author Note

This paper is being submitted on February 20, 2019, for Stanley Sangar’s Pharmacy Technician Capstone course.

Program Reflection and Industry Trends and Challenges

How medications are prescribed, dispensed, and administered in the United States are quickly changing in management and the sharing of patient information electronically, instead of paper records and traditional phone and fax methods. Electronic Prior Authorization- ePA will create a valuable asset for pharmacies by removing many prior authorization requests from their work queues. The new ePA standard will add precision and reliability across the health care range and the state regulatory process, reduce costs, improve access, and improve outcomes by removing delays in treatment or prescription rejection and freeing up valuable time, which will allow pharmacists to focus on patients and income-generating activities. Medication Therapy Management: MTM services include complete medication reviews, reconciliation, drug usage review, the ordering, review of lab tests, immunizations, drug dosage adjustments, and identification of gaps in Healthcare. The Pharmacist practicing MTM encourages patients to get involved in their health care decisions, improve medication obedience especially in patients suffering from chronic diseases. New tools, such as telehealth and mobile health applications, to deliver personalized care and monitor outcomes and patient compliance. Enabling decreases costs and improving the quality of care and patient safety. Waging the War Against Substance Abuse: Electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) and prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are currently used in pharmacies, and their use will promote the ability of clinicians identify substance abuse through medication history checks, which will show all classifications of medications that were paid for through the patient’s insurance. E-prescribing systems and pharmacy systems flag potentially deadly prescription errors and drug interactions related to opioid use, thus preventing accidental deaths and overdoses. Refill request observation can be used to help flag abuse and diversion. Examination the PDMP database before filling a controlled substance prescription is highly encouraged. The Rise of Specialty Prescribing: Specialty medications requests are due to several factors: increasing numbers of elderly and chronically ill patients needing specialty medications, the need for the development of “orphan drugs” for rare diseases or conditions. New specialty therapies, an increase in effective drugs for such conditions as hepatitis C and cancer. IV administration data; patient demographics and clinical information; order-specific clinical information; and instructions related to the delivery of the medication. Real-Time Pharmacy Benefit: Assists to improve accuracy and clarity to the group-level formulary and benefit standard, potentially curb costs and resolve debates, and improve health care by increasing formulary compliance and medication adherence. Improve the current process of relating an eligibility response with transferred data files, which have limitations due to the inactivity of the update process and the different quantity and quality of the data. Actual benefit verification will significantly improve the scope, accuracy, and effectiveness of formulary data available to the prescriber at the point of care. EHR will allow the prescriber to view other decision factors, such as co-pay amounts for individual patients at the point of prescribing. This will help with formulary compliance and medication adherence. ("Five Technology Trends: Changing Pharmacy Practice Today and Tomorrow," 2019)
Pharmacy Technicians Future: Pharmacy technicians’ roles are growing and escalating due to an increased demand for prescription medications and related pharmacy services. Pharmacy techs already support pharmacists in areas of medication reconciliation, medication therapy management, immunization delivery, indigent care programs, investigational drug programs, sterile and non-sterile compounding, pharmacist-managed chronic care clinics, tech-check-tech programs, point-of-care testing services, quality assurance and quality improvement initiatives, patient safety initiatives, informatics and health information technology and tele-pharmacy, among many other roles. Pharmacy technicians will take on more roles to help increase the business of independent community pharmacy by gathering patient data, scheduling appointments, complete vital sign readings, or perform non-health related business tasks, such as marketing and front-end sales. Working with pharmacy automation systems and helping to resolve patient insurance issues. Even though the implication of these changes will allow the Pharmacist more time to focus and perform on those roles and responsibilities that require patient-related clinical judgment, it is encouraged that the Technician is subject to rigorous standards before assuming increased roles and responsibilities in the pharmacy. “This will ensure they provide the highest quality health care to improve patient outcomes and protect the public’s health in the process.” ("Transforming Technicians: Insights into the Expanding Roles of Pharmacy Technicians - PBA Health," 2019) Challenges: Affordability- to be able to provide adequate care at the lowest cost, Nonadherence- Patients receive prescriptions, and either don’t take them or don’t refill them because they find them to be too expensive or they feel asymptomatic. Pharmacist reimbursement- pharmacists are not being compensated for services beyond dispensing drugs even though they are providing required functions, such as medication management, patient education, and counseling; reducing polypharmacy; promoting adherence; and giving wellness and prevention screenings. (ModernMedicine Network, 2017) Possible Solutions: Affordability- The decrease of prices on medications and services, increasing the availability of generic medicines at more rapid time frame, increased discount and requiring approval by insurances on medicines purchased at a higher days’ supply. Nonadherence- Increased patient education on the importance of the need to comply with the recommendation of their healthcare provider, assisting patients with obtaining generics, discounts and drug manufacturers cost-saving programs. If applicable, a reference to OTC medications. Pharmacist reimbursement- Upgrading Pharmacist to provider status since they are providing counseling, medication management therapy, recommendations, and immunizations.

Future-Complexities- Higher wage requests, increased knowledge requirements for both Pharmacist and Technicians, more complex and costly equipment. Base higher wage requests upon performance, knowledge and productivity and adherence to all company policies and procedures. Offer incentives and sponsorship along with open discussion relating to promotions within company for the advancement of knowledge through continuing education. Research ways in order to increase revenues through sales, additional services both in-house and in the community and discounts or incentives to increase clientele and by providing exemplary customer service.

References

Five Technology Trends: Changing Pharmacy Practice Today and Tomorrow. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/directions-in-pharmacy/2015/august2015/five-technology-trends-changing-pharmacy-practice-today-and-tomorrow Transforming Technicians: Insights Into the Expanding Roles of Pharmacy Technicians - PBA Health. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.pbahealth.com/transforming-technicians-insights-into-the-expanding-roles-of-pharmacy-technicians/ ModernMedicine Network. (2017). The top three pharmacy challenges. Retrieved from https://www.managedhealthcareexecutive.com/mhe-articles/top-three-pharmacy-challenges-2018