FAQs
Learn More About Dispensing
- Is In-Office Dispensing legal?
- Which type of practices are a good fit for dispensing?
- Will an office have to hire someone to dispense?
- Is point-of-care dispensing a new concept?
- Does the physician need a special license to dispense medications in the office?
- How will in-office dispensing benefit patients?
- What liability does the physician practice assume with point of care medication dispensing?
- Will dispensing cause malpractice premiums to increase?
- Is point of care dispensing efficient?
- Can I integrate my current EMR (electronic medical records), EHR (electronic health records), and e-prescribing software with the SGA Medical Solutions software?
- How much time will it take staff to dispense a medication?
- Will a dispensing office become a full service pharmacy?
- Will the doctor or staff have to count pills or label bottles?
- Can I offer mail order service to my patients?
Is In-Office Dispensing legal?
In 43 out of 50 states, it is legal for physicians to dispense medications to their patients in their office. Three states have some limitations on dispensing and four states prohibit physician dispensing. The states that are impacted:
- Arkansas (Prohibited)
- Massachusetts (Limited)
- Montana (Prohibited)
- New Jersey (Limited)
- New York (Prohibited)
- Texas (Limited)
- Utah (Prohibited)
In those states where dispensing is allowed, State and Federal law requires physicians to dispense only properly labeled and packaged drugs. Some states also require an additional dispensing license, which can be obtained for a nominal fee. Our dispensing consultants can provide specific guidelines for each state.
Which type of practices are a good fit for dispensing?
In general, acute-care medications are most often dispensed in offices. However, a customized formulary of medications can be created for each practice and many different specialties can benefit from in-office dispensing. Some of the common types of practices include, but are not limited to:
- Family Practice
- Occupational Medicine & Worker's Compensation Clinics
- Pediatrics
- OB/GYN
- Urgent Care
- Walk-In Medical Centers
- Dermatology
- Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery
- Plastic Surgery
Will an office have to hire someone to dispense?
In most states, a directive from the physician allows other staff members (nurses, medical assistants) to dispense medications within the office. A few states do require that the physician actually do the dispensing. Please contact one of our dispensing consultants for specific guidelines for your state.
Is point-of-care dispensing a new concept?
Point-of-care medication dispensing has been around since physicians began practicing medicine, but a re-emergence as an industry began in the early 1980's with repackaged drugs being introduced into the market. In 1983, a nationwide campaign led by the retail pharmacy industry was introduced with the intent to eliminate the physician's rights to dispense. In 1985, legislation in Congress was passed in 46 states to secure the physician's rights to dispense FDA approved medications to their own patients. Since then, dispensing systems were developed to make the process fast, easy, and cost effective for the physician. As office costs rise while reimbursements continue to decrease, physicians are turning to ancillary services such as in-office dispensing to help increase their office revenue.
Does the physician need a special license to dispense medications in the office?
Most states do not require anything beyond an existing State License and DEA in order to dispense medications. Some states require a designated dispensing license at a minimal cost. Please contact one of our dispensing consultants for information specific to your state.
How will in-office dispensing benefit patients?
Convenience is the greatest benefit for patients - no longer will they have to wait in long lines at a pharmacy to fill prescriptions. Filling prescriptions from a physician’s office is an added service to patients that saves them time and adds no additional cost.
What liability does the physician practice assume with point of care medication dispensing?
The liability is the same as it would be when a physician writes a prescription which is filled by a pharmacy. In point of care dispensing, there are stringent guidelines concerning packaging and labeling of the pre-packaged medications.
Will dispensing cause malpractice premiums to increase?
No, the physician's responsibility is the same whether the prescription is filled in his/her practice or filled at the pharmacy. Malpractice carriers do not charge higher rates for dispensing physicians.
Is point of care dispensing efficient? How much time will it take staff to dispense a medication?
Our dispensing program is a streamlined process that can be completed between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Trained staff can easily handle dispensing while maintaining other office responsibilities.
Will a dispensing office become a full service pharmacy?
No. The key to a successful dispensing program is to identify and support existing physician prescribing habits. Doctors typically utilize the same medications as part of their prescribing protocol and the ideal in-office formulary consists of the most frequently prescribed medications in the most commonly ordered strengths and package sizes. Our dispensing consultants will work with each office to help evaluate and recommend 20 to 30 of the most commonly prescribed generic medications. This way, the office can cover a majority of their patients' medication needs while keeping inventory costs and overhead low.
Will the doctor or staff have to count pills or label bottles?
No. All medications are delivered to the office pre-counted, pre-packaged, sealed, and ready to dispense to patients. Our software will produce the bottle label and sig, patient-specific barcode, patient receipts, counseling notice (when required), and patient instruction sheet in either English or Spanish.
Can I offer mail order service to my patients?
Yes, we provide a mail order referral service for those practices who want to offer it to their patients. In addition to acute medications which are most frequently dispensed in-office, we also provide maintenance medications for longer term treatment plans.
Can I integrate my current EMR (electronic medical records), EHR (electronic health records), and e-prescribing software with the SGA Medical Solutions software?
Yes. Our software is designed to interface with EMR, EHR, and e-prescribing software systems, making the dispensing process simple and streamlined, without duplication of data entry.