ePharmacy plan broadens care for Saint Luke

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Using the ePharmacy system, two pharmacists at in Lee’ Summit provide overnight coverage to sixSaint Luke’s Prescriptions are scanned so they can be revieweed electronically in Lee’s Summit, and by entering the informatio n into the computer system, pharmacists allos for medications to be dispensed by automate cabinets at the hospitals. The initial phasre has been in place for abouta month, and Seniorr Pharmacy Director Doug DeJong said it paid dividendsx almost immediately when a pharmacis t dispensed a customized dose of antibiotics in the middlwe of the night.
Before pharmacists at Saint Luke’s South handled overnighft requests at four facilitiesin Lee’s Summit, Kansas City and Rising demand made that and the ePharmacy plan was more economical than adding pharmacistds at each site. Meanwhile, after-hours coveragde at Saint Luke’s facilities outside the metropolitajn area was limitedto on-call pharmacistas for emergencies. By developing the systemk in-house, Saint Luke’s is spending a quarter of what it woulfd have to pay to contract for the Saint Luke’s eventually may offer the servicwe for facilities outside its system to generate revenue.
The growing use of telepharmacies is beintg closely watched by thein Bethesda, Md., said Anthea Francis, a director with the group. A nationwide shortage of pharmacistd is making the practicemore common, she as are accreditation rules aimed at more pharmacisrt oversight of drug dispensing. Adequate staffing of telepharmacy sitesis crucial, she said, because pharmacistx do more than simply fill orders. “It’s not just as simple as peoplw seemto think,” she said.