Separation of prescribing and dispensing

DocRx Reports Physician Medication Dispensing Decreases Exposure to Virus

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 27, 2020

By dispensing medication in-office, physicians help patients avoid an unnecessary and extra trip to the pharmacy where patients could be infected by the virus or infect others, he explained.

Key Points: 
  • By dispensing medication in-office, physicians help patients avoid an unnecessary and extra trip to the pharmacy where patients could be infected by the virus or infect others, he explained.
  • In-office dispensing also removes paper prescriptions from the equation, which are handled by multiple people and could serve as a conduit for germs to spread, Ward added.
  • Like all other industries, the coronavirus has forced practices to change the point of care dispensing.
  • The bottom line, Ward explained, is that physician dispensing benefits the patient and the community by decreasing exposure to the virus, which is a critical step to limiting the spread of Covid-19.

Citing patient safety value, APhA and NCPA strongly object to Wall Street Journal editorial calling pharmacists "needless middlemen"

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 18, 2020

The editorial argued that physicians should be allowed to dispense medications without limitation, calling pharmacists "needless middlemen."

Key Points: 
  • The editorial argued that physicians should be allowed to dispense medications without limitation, calling pharmacists "needless middlemen."
  • The full text of the APhA-NCPA letter follows:
    The Wall Street Journal's editorial "Letting the Docs Dispense" (June 12) entirely misses the major reason why pharmacists and physicians work together to dispense medications.
  • For hospitals to be accredited, pharmacists must review and validate prescriptions for this very reason.
  • The WSJ Editorial Board's prescription of
    physician dispensing is bad medicine for health care consumers as it eliminates an essential point of contact that is integral to optimal patient care and patient safety.