Digital integration is the future of dispensing

The pressure and strain of the COVID crisis on resources was widely felt and many pharmacies had to rapidly adapt their processes and service to meet unprecedented demand. The ability to quickly evaluate operational efficiencies and diversify throughout the pandemic has been a necessary step in helping pharmacists to futureproof their business. It’s been a challenging but timely review of working best practice.

Staying relevant, embracing the digital world of automation and putting patients at the heart of pharmacy business will safeguard pharmacies for the future. It will be critical to engage them with services that generate income, help drive sustainability and increase profitability, however the current dispensing model makes it preventative to really deliver against the service agenda.

In partnership with EMIS, Numark are delighted to bring you a new proposition that will provide Numark members of all sizes with a semi-automated repeat dispensing solution.

Exclusive to Numark members, Golden Tote is a cutting-edge solution that will deliver welcome efficiencies into daily pharmacy practice. Golden Tote helps you free up time at the dispensary bench to allow you to engage more with patients, generate more income streams and increase profitability.

LESS STOCK, SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT

The beauty of Golden Tote is in the way items are ordered and picked.

Repeat prescription items are ordered from PHOENIX in batches of prescriptions, this simply means that the software which sits on ProScript, identifies Golden Tote items and picks to a tote at the warehouse.

This tote is labelled with a bar code that is unique to multiple patients’ prescriptions. Once the tote arrives, it is scanned and this opens up the GT functionality and all patients and prescription items are identified. Labels are printed per patient and adhered to a series of baskets, one basket per patient. The items are then scanned from tote to basket until the prescriptions are complete; they are then bagged directly from the basket and dispensed. It’s so simple.

The clinical and accuracy checks are all done up front which releases the pharmacist from any other part of the process, meaning prescription assembly can quickly and confidently be handed over to a team member.

No more stock rotation, date checking, reconciliation. No more scripts pilling up in the dispensary at the end of the day for that final check. How many of you are still sat in the dispensary long past the working day catching up on a never-ending list of tasks?

Golden Tote is also significantly safer than the traditional dispensing model, the use of bar code scanning technology means the assembly process is less open to human error, giving you peace of mind.

This is one of the most exciting opportunities for pharmacists to embed a new operating system. Golden Tote is a solution that is fit for the future and allows Numark members to utilise a key benefit of large-scale automation, introducing and realising the benefits into their day to day business with none of the costs.

“Golden Tote makes sense; I would recommend it to anyone. It’s critical now that community pharmacists look at ways to move forwards using technology. The move to a more service driven agenda means that we cannot continue to dispense in the traditional way, pharmacists need to be more available for services and allow support staff to manage more of the supply function. Golden Tote allows me to do this and I couldn’t really imagine going back to our old processes, Golden Tote has been a game changer, it will help secure the future of my pharmacy business and if I’m honest help me sleep a little better a night!”

Gareth Rowe, Nantymoel Pharmacy, Ogmore Valley, South Wales