Adherence Case Study: Heritage Pharmacy

Better Healthcare Through Adherence

Heritage Pharmacy is an independent pharmacy located in Palm Springs, California. The community pharmacy has been open for over 20 years. “We took over the pharmacy in 2016, so we’ve owned this pharmacy for the last three years,” says Chandra Patel, owner of Heritage Pharmacy.

Patel believes that Heritage Pharmacy goes above and beyond for each patient, providing a better healthcare experience than competitors. “A lot of times we’re seeing a lot of transfers from competitors like the chain pharmacies because patients are not getting the service that they need and deserve,” says Patel.

Challenge

Heritage Pharmacy was using a manual, card-based system, which quickly reached capacity and required a significant amount of technician and pharmacist labor. Technicians prepared the blister cards by individually placing each medication into the appropriate cavity. When the technician was finally done preparing the blister card, the card had to be carefully checked by the pharmacist for any errors. Patel says that the verification process took at least 10 minutes for one blister card to be thoroughly checked, limiting the number of prescriptions that could be ready in one day.

Patel realized that manually filling blister cards had a significant impact on Heritage Pharmacy’s workflow. Pills would often migrate from one cavity to another during the sealing process. The error would be identified when the pharmacist checked the card. Then the technician spent additional time opening the blister cards, fixing the error and re-sealing them before they were again checked by the pharmacist. Constant rework limited the number of patients that Heritage Pharmacy could provide with blister card packaging.

Patel wanted to find a better way to do adherence packaging, so his staff could spend more time with patients. “Our pharmacy is known for our level of service and attention to detail; we do what we promise and make sure that our patients are getting the care that they need,” says Patel. Heritage Pharmacy needed something that would improve accuracy and efficiency, and Patel found a solution that addressed these priorities and more—the RapidPakRx™.

Solution

With universal cartridges and a built-in verification system, the RapidPakRx offered Heritage Pharmacy a solution to its adherence packaging needs. “What attracted me to the RapidPakRx is the fact that it uses universal cartridges. Other adherence automation on the market requires you to calibrate cartridges or buy a specific NDC canister that can be very expensive,” says Patel. The RapidPakRx can run 20 bulk-loaded cartridges simultaneously, eliminating trays and filling stations.

“Another thing that the RapidPakRx has that’s different is the built-in verification system. The verification system is very good at what it does, and it’s reassuring for the pharmacist when they’re checking for accuracy,” says Patel, “It’s very, very accurate.” The RapidPakRx uses a 3-step vision verification process to ensure the accuracy of each pouch, dramatically reducing the time required for the pharmacist to check each pouch.

About Heritage Pharmacy

Chandra Patel, Owner

Heritage Pharmacy is located in Palm Springs, California and has been serving its community since 1998. Chandra Patel became the new owner in 2016, and currently owns two pharmacy locations. Of those two locations, one utilizes the RapidPakRx. The location with the RapidPakRx has dramatically improved its adherence ratings—experiencing significantly lower DIR fees than the pharmacy without the RapidPakRx.

Since he acquired Heritage Pharmacy, Patel has focused on providing patients with healthcare that goes above and beyond traditional pharmacy services. Patel believes that every patient deserves unique and personalized service to better address specific health challenges.

Results

Speed & Accuracy.

Capacity is increased because you have a machine rolling out one adherence box every 10 minutes. You can take care of a lot more patients per day because the machine can handle a lot of volume.

Adherence.

This service helps patients hold themselves accountable because they know exactly when they miss a dose.

Patient Care.

Having a RapidPakRx in our pharmacy has been a game changer. It’s helped us differentiate our pharmacy from the rest of the competition and improved compliance. Our patients are also happier because they love the packaging and feel it’s so easy for them and for their loved ones.

Labor Savings.

As we’re increasing our volume, we haven’t had to add new staff. We can handle the increasing workload with the current staff. The efficiencies are there for us to ramp up faster with RapidPakRx.

Differentiation.

We differentiate our pharmacy from our competitors by offering unique services such as compliance packaging and free delivery service. We’re seeing a lot of transfers from competitors like the chain pharmacies, because patients are not getting the service that they need and deserve from them.