By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    What Are the Benefits of CBD?
    November 27, 2021
    How to Measure Adult Diapers- The Ultimate Guide to Picking the Right Size
    March 8, 2022
    medicine cabinet
    The Effect Of Finished Dosage Form Manufacturing In New Drugs
    July 5, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Ebola Education, Hospital Marketing, Healthcare Marketing, Healthcare Communication
    Hospital Marketing and Ebola: Communication and Education Needed
    October 30, 2014
    healthcare IT
    The Billion Dollar Healthcare IT Opportunity That the US Government Wasted
    January 27, 2013
    red bull
    Downing Energy Drinks: A Real Buzz Kill
    March 17, 2015
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: 4 Reasons Doctors Are Taking a Fresh Look at In-Office Dispensing
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Finance > 4 Reasons Doctors Are Taking a Fresh Look at In-Office Dispensing
BusinessFinanceHospital AdministrationPolicy & Law

4 Reasons Doctors Are Taking a Fresh Look at In-Office Dispensing

Lonnie Hirsch
Lonnie Hirsch
Share
4 Min Read
medication heart
SHARE

medication heartMore than ever, medical practices throughout the US are motivated to look (again) at ancillary services to bolster shrinking income and to further differentiate their marketing message.

As we enter the “rollout year” for healthcare reform, few practices are operating the same way they did last year…and the coming months only promise further change.

medication heartMore than ever, medical practices throughout the US are motivated to look (again) at ancillary services to bolster shrinking income and to further differentiate their marketing message.

As we enter the “rollout year” for healthcare reform, few practices are operating the same way they did last year…and the coming months only promise further change. Many primary care physicians, as well as some specialty providers, are taking a fresh look at in-office dispensing.

Both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have published supportive positions on the idea of doctor’s offices filling prescriptions for their own patients. But there’s much to be considered in approaching the decision and establishing an in-office dispensing pharmacy.

Capturing Revenue

More Read

Ohio University Receives Record Gift of $105 Million To Train More Primary Care Doctors
What We Eat
Marriage Penalties in ObamaCare
Breaking Bad Healthcare: The Story of Healthcare.gov
Listen Here! Should We Bribe People to be Healthy? The Philosophical Argument – a Brilliant Debate

Declining reimbursements, increased competition, rising costs and other factors—many of them financial—are some of the reasons that some doctors don’t want to be doctors any longer. Many other practices are re-thinking their business model and services.

Primary care physicians, as well as some specialty practices such as cardiology, find themselves candidates for in-house dispensing as a new revenue stream and improve compliance and outcomes. Scriptdispense, a Florida-based firm that provides a turnkey solution for physicians to setup in-house dispensing, suggests that a medical practice can realize $5,000 to $10,000 additional monthly revenue.

Marketing Differentiation

In-office dispensing is relatively unique; a value-added service for patients that distinguishes the practice among the competition. Some estimates have it that only three to five percent of all prescriptions are dispensed at the point of treatment. But that small slice likely includes hospitals and other medical facilities. It’s a value-added service that can bolster patient satisfaction and the practice marketing message

“The vast majority of patients have never experience ‘live adjudicated’ dispensing where they can use their insurance and pick up their medication at physician’s office,” according to Chuck Willen of Scriptdispense. [Real-time adjudication of the insurance claim assures the office of reimbursement and provides the patient and the office with immediate and accurate payment/co-payment information.]

Patient Convenience and Retention

The most immediate—and perhaps most widely appreciated—patient benefits are the added service and convenience of receiving the prescribed medications immediately, and thus eliminating the need for a second trip to a pharmacy. (Especially helpful for patients being driven to the doctor’s office.)

Convenience factors and patient experience tend to inspire both retention and referrals. And the cost of the medications to the patient is the same as at a traditional pharmacy.

Improved Compliance and Outcomes

More than 20 percent of first-time patient prescriptions are never filled, according to a Harvard Medical School study. But when patients receive the medication at the time of their office visit, the medical staff can provide instructions and encouragement. As a result, personal compliance, patient adherence with medication regimens—and ultimately better outcomes—can be expected.

Many practices are taking a fresh look at dispensing medications as a potential business and marketing opportunity. With a few exceptions, most states allow physician dispensing. It is, however, a valuable point of differentiation that patients appreciate.

 
TAGGED:healthcare marketing
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

lab testing strategy
Policy & Law

5 Ways to Improve Lab Testing Strategies in 2022

January 25, 2022
Health carePolicy & LawPublic Health

Deconstructing the Misconceptions About the Benefits of Preventive Healthcare

June 26, 2019
BRAIN initiative
Medical EducationNewsPolicy & LawPublic HealthSpecialtiesTechnology

The BRAIN Initiative: A Starter Project for a Broader Effort

April 17, 2013
non-clinical care factors in health outcomes
Health ReformMobile HealthPublic Health

Addressing Non-Clinical Care Factors in Health Outcomes

November 15, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?