Bill Popomaronis, R.Ph., NCPA vice president, home health and long term care pharmacy services, provides his thoughts and explanations on the latest DME information from CMS.I traversed the snow covered Appalachian Mountains last Friday to visit PRS Pharmacy Services (www.prsrx.com) in Latrobe, Pa., 30 miles outside of Steel City. As a Baltimore boy, it was a little uncomfortable running into so many black and gold Pittsburgh Steeler fans, but I pressed on and found it was worth the trip.
I was in search of products and services that may assist pharmacists in understanding the economics of competitive bidding and how to streamline the accreditation application and survey processes.
If I put on my 22-year-old independent pharmacy owner hat, the first questions I would ask regarding accreditation and competitive bidding include:
- Is it still profitable for me to be in the DME business?
- Can I handle the additional, lower margin business? (CMS expects that winning bidders should be able to increase service capacities by an additional 20%)
- If I exit the DME marketplace, what will be the economic impact on my prescription business?
- Who can assist me in creating or updating my business policy, protocol, and procedure manuals that will serve as evidence to accreditation agencies that my facility complies with the new CMS quality standards?
Check PRS out. See if what they have fits your business needs. Remember, manuals are more than just the paper on which they are written. Surveyors will expect the pharmacist in charge (PIC), or other designee, to be able to discuss the standards and provide evidence that the policies are woven into the fabric of your business.
Stay tuned…
