COVID-19 Resources

Anything pharmacies can do to speed and streamline prescription processing can help offset the complications of conducting transactions during the pandemic and the resulting social distancing.

Medication Synchronization
Medication synchronization is the process of shifting patients to a once-a-month, easy-to-comply-with, prescription refill program. Medications can be picked up in one visit instead of multiple trips. It gives pharmacies the opportunity to see and plan for their workload based on prescriptions due to be filled, and it reduces the number of trips a patient needs to make to the pharmacy, or the pharmacy needs to make to deliver medications, reducing chances for exposure to COVID-19.

• Find a worksheet on setting up med sync in NRx.
• In SharpRx, the Patient Cycle Rx Report is used to help synchronize all medications for a patient onto the same refill date. Find information on running this report in online Help.

During COVID-19, Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) best practices recommend that, if possible:

• Fill dates be moved 2 to 5 days earlier to manage potential drug shortages, patient refills, and provision of enhanced services such as ongoing monitoring and follow-up.
• Pharmacies make a special effort to identify patients who should be enrolled in medication synchronization: home delivery patients and at-risk patients (older than 65 and any patient with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disorders).

InstantFill
NRx has the option to automatically process prescriptions that come in via IVR, website refills, and other interfaces. Before using this feature, InstantFill options must be set up in Store Control/Store Level Options. Find more information in NRx Help by searching in the box at the top of the page for “InstantFill.”

SharpRx also has this ability. Go to Settings -> Prescription -> Queues to enable InstantFill.

View Rxs for Same Head of Household
Remember, you can choose to see all of a family’s ready prescriptions during checkout by selecting the View Rxs with Same Head of Household box on the Prescription Status screen. (Be sure that the Head of Household field in NRx is populated with a valid Patient Record).

SharpRx has this ability without POS from the Pickup Queue.

Proactively keeping in touch with patients helps relieve uncertainty, and it can also reduce unpredictable call volume. Even a 10-15% reduction in incoming calls asking about prescription status will free valuable staff time. You may also want to encourage patients to receive their normal refill amounts so that drug shortages can be minimized and all patients have access to critical medications.

Virtual Medication Guidance
Because face-to-face patient counseling is more difficult right now, NRx users can consider virtual patient education from VUCA Health. Triggered when patients scan a QR code printed on their prescription label, MedsOnCue displays a video about the dispensed drug. View a sample video here: http://vuca.us/9evzafun.

There's no charge by QS/1 to use VUCA Health’s MedsOnCue – pharmacies just need to enroll. Visit vucahealth.com to start the enrollment process. VUCA sends your enrollment to QS/1, and the QS/1 Client Services: Labels team works with you to add the appropriate routine on the label design. For more information, click here.

SMS Text/Email Service
Available for patients or for use internally by pharmacies, text and email messaging allows you to leverage easy, automated refill reminders or send direct messages to staff.

• The service offers multiple standardized messages to patients and provides unlimited email.
• If your IVR doesn’t currently allow callouts when prescriptions are ready, messaging might be a good alternative to help reduce incoming calls. You can send prescription updates based on patients’ preferred form of communication. To update this, go to the Additional Info screen (Contact Method) on the Patient Record.
• SharpRx users, read how to use this new feature here under What’s New? > Enhancements > 19.11 Enhancements > “Smith Technologies Text/Email Functionality.”
• To enroll, email pharmacyservices@qs1.com or call 800.845.7558, ext. 1471.

Examples of Best-Practice Communications
Go to the CPESN page on COVID-19 patient communications to find example wording for:

• Posters
• Phone/IVR messages
• Social media
• Patient flyers

Getting prescriptions into patients’ hands while maintaining social distance is one of the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. Cash and check can be accepted on delivery (which can include curbside or parking lot pickup), or credit card information can be input beforehand if safely stored in your system or shared by the patient. Payment apps such as Square^® are also an option.

Pharmacies are displaying resourcefulness and creativity daily – you can find examples by searching social media using #CovidRx (a CPESN-suggested hashtag). Below are some of your options within QS/1’s software and services.

Using Delivery in Point-of-Sale
POS has a Delivery option that can be selected when using Checkout (for instructions on setting the relevant store options, search for “Delivery” here, then read the Store Level Options topic, Delivery Options section). Selecting Delivery under Tender Payment, you can:

• Enter an alternate delivery address.
• Print two receipts (one to give the patient and one for recordkeeping).
• Reconcile payment after delivery using Register Management.

DeliveryRx
Use an iPad^® or iPad mini^® to capture required delivery information and upload it later into NRx via the pharmacy’s Wi-Fi. This service can:

• Capture required signatures
• Add a charge amount for each delivery
• Assign a driver/delivery person to each device
• Display driver/delivery notes

The app does not require an internet connection to function and is available as a free download from the app store. It requires NRx and Point-of-Sale, and it must go through a set-up process with QS/1 to work with your system. Get more information from QS/1’s Upgrades department at 800.845.7558, ext. 1412.

Wireless Signature Capture
Thought about using a tablet to make it easier to capture patient signatures away from the main register? QS/1 has an iPad and Android app called eSigCap that can be configured with your pharmacy management system to collect prescription signatures wirelessly around your pharmacy. The app is available as a free download, but it does require some setup by QS/1. To get started, call 800.845.7558, ext. 1412. Note: NRx customers can use this functionality even without our Point-of-Sale software. For more detailed information on setting Store Options etc., look up "Electronic" or "Wireless Signature Capture" in the online Help files.

Accounts Receivable (A/R)
A/R is included with SharpRx and comes as an addition to NRx (included if you have the Nursing Home module). It allows patients to charge transactions to a store account, delaying the need to exchange payment during a time of high concern over infection.

• NRx customers may want to consider adding an authorization for the A/R module, keeping in mind the realities of implementing and learning new functionalities. Find more information here.
• SharpRx users, find guidance on using A/R by clicking the Accounts Receivable tab here.

Shipping Interface
This add-on to NRx and RxCare Plus makes shipping patient meds easier by:

• Eliminating the need to re-enter patient information into shipping software
• Automatically storing carrier-issued tracking numbers, shipping methods, and shipping priority

To get started, contact your sales representative. An implementation technician will work with you through the install and connection with your shipping vendor.

Mevesi
With every click, your pharmacy is creating data that can be used to proactively improve patient care. This may be especially important during COVID-19. This PDF describes reporting within Mevesi software that can identify seniors and others who have underlying medical conditions that can cause serious complications. You might also want to consider running reports to help synchronize medication refills.