Practice Management
Managing the Drugs
Next in a series of easy, quick management tips that you can implement in your practice today in less than an hour,
Beyond the optical boutique and the contact lens profit centers in the office are the solutions and pharmaceuticals that are needed to provide excellent and complete care to our patients. These fall into a few different categories:
- Prescription pharmaceuticals
- Pharmaceuticals and supplies for in-office use
- Contact Lens Solutions
- Over the Counter solutions and ointments
The prescription pharmaceuticals may include samples and in some states, revenue product to be sold to the patients. Most patients will receive written prescriptions for their needs to be taken to the local pharmacy to be filled. Use a prescription pad that has a duplicate that can be folded and taped directly into the medical record should there be any question of the prescribed items. Samples should only be used to start urgent care needs and perhaps for those patients that cannot afford to fill the prescription. There are a number of diagnostic and therapeutic medicines and medical supplies that need to be in the inventory for daily and emergency use. There should be a written inventory with minimum quantities and sourcing managed by a key employee and reviewed monthly.
The employee responsible for ordering contact lenses should also manage the contact lens solution inventory. Have the drug/ contact lens representatives put your office on an automatic drop shipping schedule for an appropriate quantity of starter kits in the few select brands that you recommend to your contact lens patients. Rotate the stock and be sure that expired product is discarded (but pull the contact lens cases out of the kits for use in the office first.)
The artificial tear products, vitamins, allergy drops and lid hygiene products should also be neatly inventoried in each treatment lane for easy access by the ECP. These products and the much appreciated discount coupons for the patients should be the responsibility of one of the aforementioned assistants.
The overriding management point in the inventory and distribution of all of these products is to have the most current products in all categories easily at hand so that no time is wasted searching multiple locations within the practice looking for items and assuring that everything on the shelf is current product.
Dr. Dubick prepares private practice appraisals, lectures and writes on many practice management issues. He may be reached at 818.843.2214 or email at dubick@studioeyes.com.
