Digital Pharmacist clients can now use the Patient Engagement Platform (PEP), our single platform for secure, targeted patient communication, to schedule multiple appointment types.

When Digital Pharmacist first launched the PEP’s scheduling function in April, our new tool supported a single service offering: COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Now, recent updates to the platform allow pharmacists to set up, support, and offer a range of appointment-based services.

By offering pharmacists access to an appointment-based model (ABM) within our patient communication suite, Digital Pharmacist aims to promote pharmacy efficiency and growth.

New PEP Appointment Types

The recent update to our patient communication platform has added multiple new appointment types with more coming in the future, so pharmacies can pick and choose what services they’d like to schedule. Here’s a quick summary of the new options the PEP supports.

Benefits of an Appointment-Based Model (ABM)

The appointment-based model (ABM) has become a popular means of offering one-on-one pharmacy services. This flexible care model, as our PEP appointment types indicate, works well with a variety of offerings, benefiting patients and pharmacies alike.

A few ways the ABM benefits patients:

• Provides care under a single platform to maximize efficiency
• Offers individual provider attention so they can ask questions face-to-face
• Coordinates all services through the same system so they can easily keep track of multiple appointments
• Tailors services and appointments to their needs

The ABM can also support pharmacy operations and stimulate growth through:

• Automated systems that improve workflows and allow pharmacy staff to focus on patient relationships
• Tailored, individual services that can increase adherence and reduce return-to-stock, like MTM and medication synchronization
• An end-to-end solution that can be adapted to a range of tried-and-tested service offerings
• The ability to offer a personalized touch and increase the quality of patient care

ABM In Action: Flu Shots

Flu shots are a popular pharmacy add-on with a relatively low barrier and easy implementation. Adding a basic service like flu shots allows your pharmacy to expand your clinical revenue and move away from traditional PBM-reliant offerings.

The ABM model helps pharmacists streamline and promote their immunization services, identify qualified patients, and administer shots. You can offer flu shots alone or as part of an integrated offering with patient consulting services like med sync.

Here’s a quick step-by-step look at how an ABM workflow with integrated med sync and flu immunization might look at your pharmacy:

1. Patients qualified for med sync and flu shots are identified and pharmacy promotes services to them
2. Patients are entered into ABM workflow and pharmacist establishes best synchronization dates, schedules call and appointments, and potentially mentions flu shot
3. Pre-appointment call with each patient that covers medication synchronization, pickups, and vaccination history. Pharmacist can also mention immunization services here (if not during Step 2)
4. Pharmacist does pre-appointment work like preparing prescriptions, notes, supplies, and researching patients’ immunization backgrounds to offer further or targeted recommendations
5. Patient picks up their medications and receives flu shot, or makes a further appointment if the immunization offering was introduced in Steps 3 or 4

Digital Pharmacist is dedicated to helping our clients use technology to advance their clinical services and pharmacy management. Want to drive increased revenue and retention at your pharmacy? Learn more about our patient communication tool suite today.