Health Systems are Investing in Ambulatory Pharmacy IT to Improve Patient Access

NOV 17

Health systems are investing in ambulatory pharmacy IT to improve patient access Continuity of care is the top mentioned reason for health systems owning and operating ambulatory pharmacies.

Susan Morse, Executive Editor

A new survey shows that more than half of health system pharmacy leaders believe retailers and technology companies are having either a moderate or strong influence on their hospital's pharmacy strategy, according to research released today by the Center for Connected Medicine (CCM) at UPMC and KLAS Research.

Health systems are investing in new technologies for their ambulatory pharmacies, using vendors such as McKesson, Epic and others. 

Health system pharmacy leaders surveyed said their organizations are planning to invest over the next two years in new digital tools, with the top-cited solutions being integration with patient portals, in-app prescription fill and refill requests, adherence-reminder outreach systems and online or in-app payment technology, according to the report, "Ambulatory Pharmacies at Health Systems: Technologies and Strategies to Boost Consumer Engagement."

A top-mentioned reason organizations have invested in ambulatory pharmacies is enhanced patient access, the top challenge for health systems in 2021 and 2022, according to the CCM and KLAS research.

Patients' lack of access to technology and online portals hampers their ability to manage prescriptions and be informed about their medication status, the report said. 

Owning pharmacies helps health systems achieve greater patient engagement, retain patients and improve outcomes, quality of care and medication adherence.

Health systems can use their EHRs to clearly view what other medications their patients are being prescribed throughout the system. This reduces the risk of adverse drug events and medication discrepancies or errors. 

Enhanced continuity of care also helps with chronic disease management when these conditions require long-term medication therapy.

"The most important reason we offer pharmacy services is we want our patients to leave with their medications and not have to go looking for them. For specialty medications, patients don't have to wait for days or weeks before they get them, so their therapies can start sooner," said one chief pharmacy officer quoted in the report.

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