As both healthcare providers and businesspeople, physicians are constantly tasked to balance patient care with operational efficiency. Unfortunately, it’s a job that has only become more difficult in recent years, particularly since the advent of the electronic health record and its heavy administrative burden.
According to the American Medical Association, 70% of physicians spend 10 or more hours per week on administrative tasks, leaving them with less time to do what they value most about their profession: helping patients. And the problem is one of more than just inconvenience. More than ever, patients expect personalized, attentive care – and if they don’t find it with one practitioner, they’re more than willing to share their negative experience and look elsewhere.
In response to these demands, practitioners are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency in their procedures, tools, and staffing. However, one of the best ways to deliver both operational efficiency and a high standard of patient care lies outside of their operations – through partnerships.
Partnering with a 503B outsourcing facility can help increase operational efficiency while improving the patient experience in two major ways: Quality standards and on-site medication administration.
Working with a 503B outsourcing facility reduces the potential risk of cross-contamination involved with compounding on-site. Instead, pre-packaged specialty drug products meet stringent FDA-regulated quality standards during compounding and beyond, mitigating much of the risk. The on-hand storage of ready-to-use medications also allows physicians to administer medications to patients during their visit, eliminating the need for a written script and time at the pharmacy.
While all 503B partners will help you deliver specialty compounds safely and conveniently, several other considerations may help physicians distinguish between potential partners.
Here are questions to ask when considering potential partners:
Does your partner practice transparent quality control measures?
503B partners with a focus on quality will demonstrate current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and prioritize compliance with FDA regulations at every step of the compounding process. Pine Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to uncompromising quality with a state-of-the-art 503B facility that enables us to meet stringent quality standards. This includes continuous, rigorous batch testing, strict adherence to batch production records for consistency and conformity, ongoing site monitoring, cleaning and equipment inspection, and routine facility certification to ensure optimal environmental conditions.
Do they continually adapt their portfolio to accommodate new product needs?
In an ever-changing competitive, technological, and regulatory landscape, a 503B partner should proactively meet the needs of their healthcare customers. This includes manufacturing new compounds as the industry permits and providing drug products during commercial shortages. Custom solutions should also be available. Pine’s product offerings are always expanding to meet the needs of our customers. We also offer custom development such as altered compounds and modified packaging to improve the patient experience.
How easy is it to order a product?
Spending too much time placing orders defeats the idea of efficiency. Look for user-friendly online platforms that make it easy to search, order and re-order products, and the ability to track order shipments and view previous invoices. Our solution to this pain point is the Pine Portal – a best-in-class online ordering system for customers to simplify their ordering experience and save valuable time.
Is live customer support available to answer questions?
Great partners don’t rely on an FAQ page, but instead are available to answer your questions, and handle any concerns. Pine is proud of our industry-leading Customer Support team and the excellent service they provide our customers – just a phone call or email away.
From our early days as a compounding pharmacy in Western New York, our top priority has remained: To deliver exceptional service and uncompromising quality that give physicians more time to dedicate to their patients. Learn more about our extensive product offering and how a partnership with Pine Pharmaceuticals can set your practice apart.
SOURCES
Do you spend more time on administrative tasks than your peers? (AMA, 2018)