In-pharmacy prescribing option

WHILE authorities ponder the possibilities of pharmacist prescribing (PD 10 Jan), there is already a significant opportunity to grow pharmacy revenue right now, according to online GP service Doctors on Demand.

Giving patients access to a medical practitioner in-store can drive greater prescription volumes, according to the organisation’s CEO Kirsty Garrett.

“Pharmacists experience numerous opportunities every day in their pharmacies where their customer has run out of a prescription item, or they are counselling customers and they know the customer requires a prescription item to achieve the best outcome,” she said.

The Doctors on Demand service is available 24/7 to consult with the customer, with many pharmacies offering suitable counselling areas to make the provision of the service secure and private.

“This is an opportunity for pharmacists to provide a better health service and better health outcomes for their customers by providing timely access to a medical practitioner,” Garrett said.

The Doctors on Demand service guarantees to have any required prescription back in the pharmacy within an hour.

The company also offers a Quickscript service for repeat scripts, with pharmacists guiding customers through an online questionnaire prior to ordering their repeat prescription.

The script request is reviewed by a medical practitioner to determine the suitability of the requested medicine.

Garrett said 2,000 pharmacies across the country were also taking advantage of Quickscripts, while 200,000 customers access the free companion App on their devices.

For more information see doctorsondemand.com.au.