Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/1153028
Chain Drugstore Daily 2 9 Saturday, August 24, 2019 2019 Best of Show Teamwork Makes the Dream Work with MarkeTouch "Teamwork makes the dream work" is something normally said tongue-in- cheek, but in MarkeTouch's offices, it knows that its team provides comprehen- sive solutions for unique problems faced by companies with an ever-changing landscape. The dream of providing your customers with the best possible experi- ence is alive and well with its sales, development, clinical project manage- ment and client services teams. MarkeTouch is the only provider of turnkey patient communication solutions for pharmacies. It is a leader in patient communications as a result of surround- ing itself with outstanding partnerships, including pharmacy software providers, biometric screening companies, group purchasing organizations, industry asso- ciations and 25 different industry-leading pharmacy vendors. MarkeTouch is open to partnering with most vendors that its clients request, and in some instances, it will work with competitors when it bene- fits you. MarkeTouch is also a regular attendee and member of most industry associations, including the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP), Asembia, ECRM, National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) and Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA). It actively par- ticipates with and supports these organi- zations as sponsors to stay ahead of the industry trends, regulations and customer behavior, allowing MarkeTouch to put its products ahead of the competition. It is a part of these organizations not to just hear about what's next: it is offering what's next. MarkeTouch is driving change and putting its thumbprint on what is important in the industry today and ongoing. MarkeTouch partners with chain, hospital, specialty, mail-order and inde- pendent pharmacies across North America to connect with patients in an effi- cient manner that does not negative- ly impact work- flow. Results include increased adherence, revenue and patient satisfaction. The com- pany's success is a fellowship with its associates, and MarkeTouch could not maximize its client results without the assistance of its partners. Talk to MarkeTouch. Find out who it partners with and how your company can capitalize on these relationships to benefit your patient communication strategy. MarkeTouch has been doing it since 2001. For more information, visit booth #315 or go to www.rxtouch.com and www .marketouchmedia.com. KNAPP Releases Newest Automated Dispenser Technologies An interview with Brian Sullivan, Senior Systems Manager, KNAPP. CDD: Everyone is aware of the extent that regulatory pressures and the ongoing impact of a very tight labor market have on pharmacy operations. Could you give an update on what KNAPP is doing in the automated pharmacy marketplace? BS: To start, we've been investing 7 per- cent annually in R&D at KNAPP across all of our markets. Much of this is target- ed towards our goal of optimizing phar- macy operations as a key initiative within our Healthcare Solutions Group. This is the case from our enterprise software pharmacy suite, right down through our automated and robotic dispensing tech- nologies. We are several generations into these technologies and the improvements are impressive. We have also broadened our overall offering of solutions for fully automated, high-speed pharmacy script fulfillment with new and advanced tech- nologies. CDD: Speaking of automation and script fulfillment, what is KNAPP doing to reduce fulfillment costs and the impact of DIR fees on pharmacy chains and inde- pendents? BS: Those are questions that are top of mind for most pharmacies these days. Not only labor cost and the margin pres- sure of increased DIR fees, but also the ongoing labor shortage, specifically for pharmacy technicians in many parts of the country. At KNAPP, we've developed sever- al automated dispensing technologies that address a larger percentage of count- able NDCs in the pharmacy and mini- mize the requirements for manual dis- pensing. This labor savings is more sig- nificant to the market than any competing technolo- gies that we are aware of today. Our current genera- tion ATDs with our patent- ed counting technology are the most accurate high- speed pill counters avail- able including broken tablet or capsule detection. Our large capacity, lightweight replenishment can- isters minimize replenishment time, and with all of the concern regarding NIOSH hazardous drug rules in the news, our centralized vacuum option provides a near dust free environment, which offers the potential to keep more meds dis- pensed via automation. CDD: What does that mean for the phar- macy? BS: If you consider a traditional central- ized pharmacy operation, the number of technicians required to dispense the patient's countable prescriptions is sig- nificant. By automating this process, the cost of, and demand on your labor pool is drastically reduced. In addition, the potential for human error within the phar- macy can be reduced signifi- cantly. CDD: What other savings can be achieved when imple- menting KNAPP automated dispensing solutions? BS: There are certainly other opportu- nities for savings. Our proven canister verification system can minimize downstream pharmacist verification (PV2) costs. Our robotic K-Med sys- tems are also highly space and labor efficient for slower moving NDCs, automating meds that would previously have been handled manually. It also allows chains to justify an automated central fill operation at much lower vol- umes than previously seen, ultimately providing these pharmacies more sav- ings, sooner. Visit KNAPP at booth #1804. For more information, go to www.knapp.com.