OncLive: Expanding Your Practice to Include a Dispensing Pharmacy
March 25 2014: Cheryl Alkon of OncLive quotes Tatiana Melnik on her story about how oncology practices can expand their service offerings and increase patient satisfaction by adding a dispensing pharmacy
Many oncology practices are looking for a means to grow their practices. As Alkon explains, "Establishing a dispensing pharmacy can be a way to make things easier for patients as they coordinate the medication aspect of their cancer care. It can also be a financial win, with potentially significant profit margins."
But, there are some regulatory hurdles. “Pharmacy laws change pretty regularly,” said Tatiana Melnik, a health care attorney with Melnik Legal PLLC, based in Tampa, Florida. “It’s a contentious issue between pharmacies and prescribers, because pharmacists can’t prescribe and doctors who put in their own pharmacies affect market share. This is something your attorneys should look at—the most recent laws and regulations. Include court case law and attorney general opinions, and pharmacy board decisions and commentary that have reviewed existing laws,” she said.
Providers also care about their patients. “A lot of doctors are interested in establishing a pharmacy because it gives them a nice source of income,” said Melnik. “For a lot of doctors, it’s not about the money. It’s about making it easy for their patients to get the drugs they need.”
OncLive is a publication geared toward the practice of oncology - Read the full article here: Expanding Your Practice to Include a Dispensing Pharmacy
| Is your medical group evaluating starting an on-site dispensing pharmacy? Do you need assistance with prescribing controlled substances? What about prescribing via telemedicine?
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