Nowadays, more healthcare sectors, including community pharmacies, are switching to EMR systems instead of paper charting. With EMR, short for electronic medical records, hospitals and clinics can record and monitor patient records more efficiently. The same goes for pharmacies.
The use of EMRs plays a crucial role in providing better patient care. Pharmacies and health care providers use EMRs to minimize delays in record processing and provide a more accurate treatment course.
Speaking of which, the best EMR for pharmacies should possess the necessary features that help streamline significant tasks such as managing refills and issuing prescriptions, with added decision support functionalities.
What is EMR system?
EMR systems are applications or software used by hospitals to electronically store, manage, and secure medical records and patient information.
Table of Contents
- Do Pharmacies Use EMR Systems?
- What Is EMR in Pharmacy?
- EMR Integration for Pharmacies
- Is EMR Easy to Use?
- What to Look For in an EMR System?
- Best EMR for Pharmacies
- EMR and HIPAA-compliant Faxing
Do Pharmacies Use EMR Systems?
EMR systems are used in pharmacies to accomplish various tasks and goals. With the use of EMR, pharmacists have direct access to a patient’s medical history and known drug interactions. Pharmacists can use this data to evaluate drug effectiveness and list possible adverse effects.
What Is EMR in Pharmacy?
One of the primary goals of using EMR in pharmacies is to reduce medication errors. By knowing the patient’s drug history and known drug interactions, pharmacists can communicate with the primary health care provider and recommend a drug dosage suitable for the patient’s treatment course. This can also help facilitate account request processes when patients need specific medications or adjustments.
EMR Integration for Pharmacies
EMR integration allows pharmacies to connect with health care providers in the same EMR system. The best EMR for pharmacies typically offers this type of support and integration. Unlike paper records, EMRs are easy to organize and manage. Pharmacists and doctors can also streamline their workflow and do various tasks in just one platform.
Is EMR Easy to Use?
The time and effort you’ll need to learn EMR often depends on what type of EMR system you’re using. Not all EMR systems have identical learning curves. Some EMRs are easier to use compared to others. Meanwhile, some EMRs highlight a range of functionality that usually takes time to get used to.
Usability is something to consider when choosing the best EMR for pharmacies and other health care settings. A reliable EMR system should be easy enough for pharmacists and prescribers to use. At the same time, it should have the features necessary to manage patient data more efficiently.
What to Look For in an EMR System?
What to Look For in an EMR System?When looking for the best EMR system for pharmacies, you should consider certain things that could affect the overall quality of your service. These factors include:
Usability
Choose an EMR system that doesn’t have a steep learning curve. It should be user-friendly and reliable.
Functionality
An EMR system for pharmacies should provide all the necessary tools and features for managing prescriptions with ease.
Integration
There should also be an option for integration with third-party service providers. This helps streamline the workflow without navigating away from the EMR system.
Prescription Management
The best EMR for pharmacies should allow better prescription management with options for automating tasks, issuing e-prescriptions, and monitoring refills.
Privacy
Since EMR involves handling patient records, it should be private and secure enough to keep the data safe from all possible types of cybercrimes.
HIPAA Compliance
Since pharmacies are part of the covered entities that must abide by the HIPAA law, the EMR system should also comply with the HIPAA rules and regulations.
Best EMR for Pharmacies
Given the wide range of EMR providers, choosing the best EMR for pharmacies is something that takes time and careful consideration. To give you an idea, here are some of today’s best EMR for pharmacies:
- Epic: Epic Systems is one of today’s most preferred EMR systems. Many well-established pharmacies and healthcare institutions use it because it flaunts superior and state-of-the-art features. Epic also provides a secure web portal for pharmacies and health providers.
- NextGen: NextGen Healthcare is ideal not just for pharmacies but for almost everyone in the healthcare sector. It provides a cloud-based EMR/EHR platform. It also offers a wide selection of tools and options for billing, telehealth, e-prescriptions, and more.
- Practice Fusion: Practice Fusion is ideal for pharmacies looking for an EMR system with advanced e-prescribing functionality. This cloud-based EHR/EMR also features automatic drug-to-drug and drug-allergy interaction checks. This way, it’s easier to manage prescriptions and provide optimum patient care.
- CoverMyMeds: CoverMyMeds provides a modern EMR platform for pharmacies to fulfill prescriptions on time. Pharmacies and providers can fully utilize its various tools and features to help patients adhere better to their treatment plans.
- Prime Suite: Prime Suite by Greenway Health is a cloud-based EMR system that flaunts a clean and easy-to-use clinical UI. It also features a prescription drug monitoring program that helps improve workflow.
EMR and HIPAA-compliant Faxing
While most EMR systems focus on efficient record management and improving workflow, what comes along with it is the responsibility of securing the medical records. The transfer and exchange of sensitive patient records from one provider to another should duly meet the rules and guidelines of the HIPAA privacy law. In this regard, transmitting health information should be accomplished only by registered entities using an authorized device or any legally acceptable method.
While faxing medical records is acceptable, it would be best to use a secure and HIPAA-compliant online faxing service that supports EMR integration.
One great example of secure HIPAA-compliant online faxing is iFax. iFax is an easy-to-use online faxing solution with easy fax integration to existing platforms, including today’s most widely-used EMR systems.
Millions of healthcare providers are using iFax to send and receive faxes. Here’s why:
- HIPAA and GLBA compliance
- Secure enterprise-grade faxing
- Military-grade 256-bit AES encryption
- Developer-friendly fax API and existing platform integration
- User-friendly SaaS platform
- Flexible pricing plans and 24/7 human support
Final Thoughts
When choosing the best EMR for pharmacies, consider certain factors first. See to it that it has all the features and tools necessary to manage prescriptions efficiently with a high level of accuracy. The EMR system should also be secure and reliable enough to handle sensitive documents of large volumes.
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