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How does the Ancillary Advantage program work?
It’s simple. You purchase Class A rated repackaged pharmaceuticals from us in ready-to-dispense bottles. When you write a prescription, instead of sending the patient down the street to fill at a retail pharmacy, you also give them the medication. We provide a complete dispensing system, including FDA compliant labels and patient information sheets. Medications are kept in a locked cabinet, not unlike what you are probably already doing for sample medications.
How do I get paid?
Like any service you render, the insurance payer is billed. Insurance payers are familiar with physician dispensing – physicians already dispense 20% of prescriptions paid for workers’ compensation. We offer a turnkey managed program that manages the entire billing and collections process, maximizing the return to your practice and minimizing the impact on your staff.
Is this legal?
A physician is allowed to dispense medication to his or her own patients in almost every state. We will assist you in meeting any state and federal requirements including filing any necessary applications.
Is physician dispensing ethical?
AMA Policy E-8.06 specifically addresses physician dispensing – “Physicians may dispense drugs within their office practices provided such dispensing primarily benefits the patient”.
How does physician dispensing benefit the patient?
Studies have shown that 20% of prescriptions go unfilled. In workers’ compensation this number is even higher at 30%. Why aren’t patients filling their prescriptions?
- They don’t understand the importance of taking their medication.
- They are concerned, especially workers’ compensation patients, about paying out-of-pocket for expensive medications.
- They don’t have the time to go to a pharmacy and wait for their prescriptions to be filled.
With the Ancillary Advantage program, patients receive their medications directly from their physician and these non-compliance problems are eliminated.
Why the emphasis on workers’ compensation?
Two reasons. First of all, with the challenges faced by workers’ compensation patients in filling their prescriptions at a retail pharmacy, the Ancillary Advantage program provides the greatest benefit to this patient population. Second, the reimbursement rules for workers’ compensation and the nature of on-the-job injuries make workers’ compensation prescriptions the easiest and most financially beneficial prescriptions for you to dispense.
What do I need to get started?
Besides completing any necessary paperwork, which our Customer Support group will assist you with, you need to provide a lockable cabinet or drawer for keeping the medications. Most of our customers opt for our electronic dispensing system, which requires a computer with a broadband Internet connection and a computer. With your first order, we provide everything else, including medications, labels and patient information sheets. We will also train your staff, both from a dispensing and a billing perspective.
How much will I make?
Each practice is unique in its patient demographics, patient volumes and prescribing habits. For this reason, there is no one answer to this question. However, your Sales Representative can provide you with a profit calculator specific to your geographical location to help estimate your financial opportunity. With a little more information, we can provide a detailed financial analysis that is specific to your practice.
How much time does it take?
It can take less time to dispense a bottle of medication from your office than it does for your staff to:
- Call/talk to the pharmacy regarding insurance and claim information (retail pharmacies will not dispense without this information)
- Manage authorizations for brand medications
- Call the pharmacy with refill requests
- Answer pharmacy calls regarding other medications/medical questions
I don’t want to store prescription medications in my practice.
If you are accepting samples from pharmaceutical representatives today, you are already storing prescription medications in your practice. With the Ancillary Advantage program, we go one step further by integrating inventory control into our electronic dispensing system. You will know the disposition of every prescription medication we send to you.
I don’t want to store controlled or narcotic medications in my practice
You don’t have to. You decide which medications you want to dispense.
Do I have to report anything to the FDA, DEA or any other state or federal agency?
Some states do require periodic reporting for controlled substances. Our system automates this reporting process for you. And, as required by certain states, we maintain all records for drug pedigree tracking.
I am ready to take the next step. What do I need to do?
Contact us and we can begin the process of registering your practice and completing the necessary paperwork to begin dispensing. Once all paperwork is completed, we can have you dispensing in a matter of days.
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