How Technology Advances Are Optimizing Pharmacy Workflows and Expanding Access to Care While Reducing Errors in Medication Management

Pharmacy workflows include many detailed and repeated tasks. These tasks can be prescription processing, managing inventory, giving out medicines, and counseling patients. In the past, these workflows had problems like long wait times, many human errors, and using resources inefficiently. New technology has helped fix many of these problems.

One example is the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center. It added several advanced technologies to its outpatient and inpatient pharmacies. Systems like Scriptpro, IntelliCab™, IntelliVault™, and BD Pyxis™ Logistics carousel have made big improvements in how the pharmacy runs and in safety. Scriptpro, for example, cut wait times for prescriptions from over 30 minutes to about 15 minutes or less. This change helps patients get their medicines faster, which is important for following treatment plans and getting care on time.

Scriptpro also tracks inventory all the time and orders daily automatically when supplies run low based on preset limits. This method greatly reduces running out of medicines and keeps medicines available, unless the manufacturer cannot supply them. Avoiding shortages is very important, especially in hospitals or clinics with many patients, because delays in getting medicines can hurt care.

Similarly, the IntelliCab™ Will-Call System guides pharmacy staff electronically to find and give out medicines correctly. This system has helped reduce dispensing errors to zero at the pickup window. Dispensing errors have been a common problem in pharmacies and can sometimes cause serious health issues. Automating this step helps keep patients safe and lowers stress and errors among staff.

For controlled medications, the IntelliVault™ system automates the filling process with picture checks and quality control. It allows pharmacy technicians to handle these tasks, so pharmacists have more time for clinical work like medication therapy management and counseling patients. This sharing of work improves job satisfaction for pharmacy teams and raises the quality of patient care.

The inpatient pharmacy uses a BD Pyxis™ Logistics carousel that helps manage inventory by sending daily restock alerts. This reduces running out of medicines in machines used by nurses. Having medicines available on time in these areas helps nurses give medications as scheduled, which is key to good patient outcomes.

Besides machines and robots, pharmacy systems have interactive technologies to help with patient flow. For example, a patient recognition kiosk at the VA pharmacy speeds up check-ins by recognizing patients right away, lowering wait times before seeing the pharmacist. Pharmacy display screens also show busy areas to direct staff where they are most needed, helping the pharmacy work better overall.

Expanding Access to Care Through Technology

Pharmacy technology not only improves efficiency but also helps more patients get medicines and consultations. Telepharmacy services and mobile health apps let patients access pharmacy care remotely. This is especially useful in rural or underserved places.

Telepharmacy lets pharmacists review medications, check for problems, and talk with patients by video or phone. This means fewer in-person visits are needed. It helps patients get continuous care, especially when moving from hospital to home care. Medication checks after hospital stays can prevent errors and keep patients from needing to be readmitted. Studies show that pharmacist-led medication checks after discharge lower bad drug events, hospital readmissions, and risk of death.

Mobile health apps help patients remember when to take their medicines. They also give information about drugs and let patients talk to their pharmacists. These tools help patients stay involved in their treatment and avoid missing doses, which can make medicines less effective or cause harm.

Systems such as electronic prescribing and computerized physician order entry improve communication between doctors and pharmacies. Electronic prescriptions remove problems with handwriting and give real-time alerts about drug interactions or allergies. Still, pharmacists need to review complex cases and catch errors the system might miss.

Reducing Medication Errors with Technological Solutions

Medication errors cause a lot of harm to patients in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gets over 100,000 reports of suspected medication errors every year. Many of these involve using the wrong drug, wrong dose, bad interactions, or preparation mistakes. About half of these bad events could be prevented. This means it is very important to use safety measures in pharmacy work.

Technology helps reduce errors in many ways. Barcode scanning systems check that the right medicine matches the correct patient and dose before giving the medicine out. This double-check lowers errors caused by picking or labeling mistakes.

Automated dispensing cabinets let nurses get medicines safely and quickly. But pharmacists must check prescriptions before nurses take the medicines. This extra review helps stop mistakes and makes nursing work easier.

Robotic dispensing systems and automation tools reduce human error by doing repetitive tasks like counting pills, packaging, and labeling. This lets pharmacists spend more time on clinical work.

Pharmacist-led programs focused on opioids, antibiotics, blood sugar control, and clot-preventing medicines have shown better patient outcomes. These programs reduce misuse and lower resistance or bad events. Technology helps pharmacists take on these expanded clinical roles.

The Role of Pharmacists in the Age of Technology

Technology has changed the pharmacist’s role from mainly giving out medicines to being a key part of patient care teams. Pharmacists now lead programs for medication checks, opioid use, pain management, and medicine adherence.

For example, pharmacists reviewing electronic health records remotely catch errors that automated systems might miss. They encourage a culture where people report medication errors without blame. They give feedback to healthcare teams to help improve quality over time.

Pharmacists also manage and improve clinical decision support systems. They use machine learning tools to customize medication plans and predict patient risks. This work helps keep patients safer.

Artificial Intelligence and Workflow Automation in Pharmacy Practice

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are playing bigger roles in pharmacy work. They help with complex, slow, or error-prone tasks. AI analyzes large amounts of data to predict medication shortages, patients missing doses, or risk of bad events.

Machine learning tools are part of clinical decision support systems. They warn about possible drug interactions, suggest dose changes, or offer alternative therapies based on each patient. These AI insights help pharmacists make better decisions and reduce manual work.

Automation speeds up tasks like scheduling medicine dispensing, approving refills, sending patient reminders, and managing inventory. AI chatbots and virtual assistants answer common phone questions and book appointments, which lowers administrative work.

For medical practice administrators and IT managers, using AI tools can make pharmacy work more efficient by lowering errors and using resources well. Automated phone systems can handle prescription refill requests and appointment confirmations. This improves patient experience and lets staff focus on clinical work.

Pharmacies using AI and automation can better handle the growing complexity of medication management, follow rules, and respond to patient needs quickly. These technologies also help improve communication between healthcare providers, pharmacies, and patients, leading to safer, more coordinated care.

Navigating Challenges and Embracing Opportunities

Even though technology in pharmacy has clear benefits, some challenges still exist. People worry about job security and the cost of new technology. Some resist change, which slows progress. Education and teamwork among pharmacy leaders, regulators, and technology makers are needed to solve these problems.

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) helps with this through its Research and Innovation Institute. Led by NABP President Bradley S. Hamilton, the Institute provides data to guide policy and regulations. It offers a fair platform to test new pharmacy technologies to make sure they are safe and work well.

By including stakeholders in pilot projects and sharing clear data, the Institute helps close information gaps between regulators and workers. This approach supports rules based on evidence and helps introduce technology that lowers pharmacist workload while improving patient care and safety.

For medical practice administrators, owners, and IT leaders in the United States, staying updated on technology trends and working with regulators and technology vendors is important. Using advanced pharmacy technologies and AI-driven automation can help healthcare organizations improve medication safety, increase access to pharmacy care, and make operations run better. These changes are key to providing good, patient-centered care in a fast-changing healthcare world.