Month: April 2021

By Mark Lutcavish

The term “new normal” as we have all heard has deeply impacted all of us! Over a year ago our lives changed overnight. We used to run out to the grocery store, pick up prescriptions at the pharmacy and grab a bite to eat as a weekly or monthly routine. Over a year later the “new normal” continues: our takeout is delivered right to our doors, curbside pickups replaced our usual errands, and our prescriptions show up in the mail.

With the push for delivery services becoming a necessity rather than a luxury, it’s only natural that the most popular delivery services branch out into other industries. Take Uber for example. The company originally started out with rideshare services and eventually branched out to offer food delivery. Eventually, they created Uber Health, a service that enables healthcare organizations to help arrange rides for their patients, so no appointments are missed. Recently, Uber Health partnered with the software company ScriptDrop to expand into the prescription delivery business.

ScriptDrop, an Ohio-Based startup, works with pharmacies to establish and improve their prescription delivery services. ScriptDrop provides multiple solutions to help pharmacies find the ideal way to get prescriptions to their patient’s doorstep. With this partnership, Uber customers would be able to take advantage of the delivery services with their medications.

As home delivery options expand, what impact do partnerships like Uber and ScriptDrop have on your pharmacy and your patients? Are you preparing your pharmacy for the changes that could come as home delivery options become more widely available? I wanted to take a moment to review the pros and cons of partnerships like this one and how they can impact the pharmacy industry going forward.

Pros

– This program is great for local independent pharmacies allowing them to reach our senior population and those challenged with transportation
– Provides a platform and delivery service with minimal cost to the pharmacy.
– Helps our local pharmacy owners to continue servicing their patient’s vs losing them to a “big box chain”
– Increase medication compliance. Delivery service provides increased access for prescriptions, so patients are more likely to stay on their medication schedules.

Cons

– There is an increased risk to the pharmacy with potential lost or stolen medication. Adding an additional component such as an Uber driver creates another layer of accountability
– The Uber driver becomes the new face of the pharmacy. Any interaction good or bad will come through that driver. We only remember our bad experiences. Pharmacies can lose patients over that one “bad experience”
– Patient consultation is a big challenge; pharmacies are required to provide this service. If your pharmacy is not equipped to handle this additional task it can have severe consequences
– Suppliers have contract guidelines for pharmacy; these guidelines can limit delivery of medication and add additional auditing and risk to the pharmacy

While Uber delivering medication is a good idea and premise, it seems to create more risk for the pharmacy. When approaching this idea and the concept of delivering medication, you have to ask yourself: Is the low cost worth the risks?

I encourage you to carefully consider all the dangers involved when you are sending high-risk medications to your patients. What could happen if that medication goes missing or expires? How will that affect the patient on the other end of the delivery? With a solution that is tailored to your organization’s needs, you can ensure that risk is minimized. Lost packages, expired medications, and poor customer interactions can impact your patient’s experience. Triose has experts in Last Mile delivery. Our team can help you meet your accreditation and Medicare standards while putting your patients first.

– Mark Lutcavish

 

 

WYOMISSING, Pa., April 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Triose, Inc., the leading provider of intelligent healthcare supply chain solutions, today announced that the company has promoted seasoned sales and operations executive Natalie Jones to vice president of sales. In her new position, Jones will hold primary responsibility for managing commercial sales activity and channel partnerships, as well as growing strategic customer accounts and partner relationships.

“I am both honored and excited to be taking on the role of vice president of sales for Triose,” said Jones. “I joined Triose in 2014 with the shared goal of making a difference in healthcare and I truly believe that we make a difference with our customers every day in providing intelligent supply chain solutions.”

In her seven-year tenure at Triose, Jones has fostered a culture of excellence and accountability at the company by consistently setting and surpassing business goals and objectives. Notable accomplishments include establishing and launching a channel partnership with McKesson, opening Triose’s first field office in Houston and playing an instrumental role in the organization’s implementation and adoption of a standard sales methodology.

“I am very excited that Natalie has accepted the position of vice president of sales for Triose,” said Gerry Romanelli, chief commercial officer at Triose. “In her seven years at Triose Natalie has taken on several key roles in operations, marketing and sales, culminating in her promotion to VP where she will be responsible for all sales at Triose. I am confident that with Natalie at the helm we will continue our growth trajectory.”

For more information about Triose visit triose.com.

About Triose, Inc.
For over 20 years, Triose has helped health systems manage their supply chain operations and gain visibility over costs, returning time to serve patients. Triose has a singular mission of making a difference in healthcare, allowing for deeper industry insights. Triose has helped over 10,000 healthcare locations and continues to innovate with each one we serve. At Triose, customers can rely on our team of experts to realize savings, so they can focus on what matters most, the patient.

Triose is the recognized industry leader in Healthcare Supply Chain Logistics. Recent honors include Vizient Purchased Services Supplier of the Year, Philadelphia SmartCEO, Vizient NOVAPLUS® Supplier of the Year, AHA Gold Level Workplace Health Achievement, and eight consecutive appearances on the Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies.