From Manual to Digital: The Rise of Virtual Verification in Pharmacies

Verification processes in pharmacies have long slowed down the process for filling prescriptions because they needed to be done by hand. However, virtual verification can now be done, and it’s changing the way pharmacies are run and how quickly medications can be ready for disbursement. Pharmacists are increasingly using virtual verification in pharmacies because it offers the following benefits. 

Better Accuracy

Accuracy is key when dispensing medications, which is why there has been a manual verification process for many years. However, mistakes are possible, and when they do happen, a patient may not receive the correct medication for their needs. Instead, using virtual verification at your pharmacy means that the dispensing process is far more accurate and less prone to errors, helping keep patients safe and ensuring they get the correct medication for their needs. This helps to cut down on errors significantly to ensure everything is as accurate as possible. 

More Efficient

The manual verification process can take a significant amount of time, which can mean that pharmacists don’t have as much time to spend with patients to make sure they understand their medications and everything they need to know about them. Instead, with a virtual verification process, everything is handled virtually, and the process is more efficient, so the pharmacist has more time for patient counseling. This can help to ensure patients understand their medications, when to take them, what signs to look out for if they aren’t working, and more. 

Easily Scalable

Small pharmacies can grow rapidly when word gets out about the services they offer, the speed of their services, and other benefits of choosing them over a major pharmacy. However, when this happens, scalability is vital because the pharmacy can quickly see a rise in new orders. With a virtual verification process, it’s easy to quickly scale up as needed to ensure the pharmacy is able to handle the influx of new patients. No matter how much the pharmacy grows, it’ll be able to handle the verification process easily. 

Access Remotely

Today, there are many areas that are suffering from staffing shortages. More rural areas may also be a pharmacy desert because of the lack of available pharmacists, making it harder for patients to get the medications they need. However, with virtual verification processes, it’s easier to reach patients in these areas. The verification process can be done and checked remotely, allowing physicians to help out even if they don’t live in the area or are busy at another location. 

Potential Challenges

Although there are benefits to having a virtual verification process implemented, there can be challenges, such as staff training, the cost of getting started, and cybersecurity risks. It is important for pharmacists to be aware of these challenges to be able to mitigate the risks as much as possible. Doing so can help with creating a smoother switch to the virtual verification process and ensure everything is in place to gain all of the benefits from it. 

A virtual verification process can greatly speed up how long it takes to process medications, enabling better customer service for patients, more efficient processes for pharmacists, and a lot more. Take a look at the options for getting started using a virtual verification process today to learn more about how it could help in your pharmacy.