Valerie Wasem

Medication nonadherence continues to plague medicine, with estimates putting it as high as 50% even in developed countries like the United States.

Nonadherence can be attributed to numerous factors—from polypharmacy, adverse effects, and complex dosing regimens to socioeconomic disadvantage.

 Nonadherence has negative consequences for the US health care system as well as for patients.

 Studies estimate it can cost up to $300 billion a year.

 One way to promote adherence is through medication synchronization (med sync) programs that simplify the refill process and decrease the burden of taking multiple medications.

An appointment-based model (ABM) is a type of med sync program that allows patients to pick up their prescriptions on 1 or 2 predetermined days a month. On these days, pharmacists can also provide services like comprehensive medication reviews.

 Although reviews are highly advantageous for patients, they can be time consuming for pharmacists.

 That is why ABM med sync is most effective when the entire pharmacy team participates. Technicians can provide the additional services and thus help pharmacists focus on clinical work.

Med sync programs have been widely adopted in the United States, with 79% of independent pharmacies reportedly using them.

 Because the programs improve operational efficiency, more and more pharmacies are offering them. Another benefit, as described by initiatives like Flip the Pharmacy, is that they could be the first step in the transformation of pharmacy from a practice that offers prescription-level care to one that offers patient-centered care.

Med sync programs can accomplish 5 tasks: identification and enrollment of patients, medication review and assessment, refill alignment, prescription medication preparation, and delivery of medications, immunizations, and other patient services.

 Technicians can play a significant role in the med sync process by performing various tasks. The results of a recent retrospective, cross-sectional study of 68 community pharmacies showed that technicians supported approximately 70% of med sync programs and that in 75% of the programs technicians helped with patient follow-up and problem-solving. Four components of ABM were associated with significant improvement in adherence among patients with chronic disease states, such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension.

The results of another study showed that technicians were integral to supporting med sync programs in their pharmacies by identifying patients who would benefit from enrollment, reviewing medications lists, scheduling medication pickup dates based on patient preference, contacting patients in preparation for dispensing, and engaging in pickup or delivery of medications or other services.

 Technicians stand to gain from working toward the programs’ success because med sync has been shown to promote better foresight regarding customer foot traffic, decreased phone calls and refill requests, enhanced workflow via increased inventory control, and improved patient and pharmacy staff connections.

Technicians are often overworked due to customer demands, high prescription volume, and staff shortages. Med sync programs can alleviate the daily pressure of work for technicians.

In a recent study of community pharmacies using med sync for 50% or more of their prescriptions, participants said that leveraging technician support was key to the program’s success and that involving all staff members was particularly important given the challenging landscape of community pharmacy practice.

In addition to supporting pharmacy operations, technicians may experience personal satisfaction from helping patients achieve better health outcomes. The results of a study that evaluated ABM med sync implementation showed that technicians perceived their efforts as beneficial to patient health.

 Buy-in from all members of the pharmacy team is critical to success and for pharmacists to leverage workflow efficiencies.

 Previous study results have shown that a high perceived quality of work life may decrease turnover levels among technicians.

Tailoring med sync programs to local needs is something else that should not be overlooked. The pharmacy’s technological capacity should be considered, and it should be possible to adapt ABM programs as its operations evolve. The type of ABM software and how it is used are important, especially for technicians, because they are the individuals accessing patient information and thus the program’s primary users.

One study examining the implementation of a technician-run ABM program cited failure to integrate the ABM software with the pharmacy’s patient profile as especially problematic because medications were not updated or accurately represented.

 Software limitations may create confusion, lead to inefficiencies, and increase the likelihood of errors. This is a significant threat to the success of med sync programs whose goal is to streamline the refill process and improve the patient experience.

In addition, the software must be easy to use if the goal of creating efficiencies is to be met. If technicians are not properly trained or the software is too cumbersome, they are less likely to suggest that patients enroll. Some barriers to med sync implementation mentioned by technicians include lack of access to ongoing training, difficulty convincing patients to participate, and problems with sharing feedback among staff members across locations.

 Technicians should be aware of these barriers so that they can ask management to address them.

The results of a qualitative study exploring the use of technicians in ABM med sync programs showed that the training they received before the program’s implementation was often inadequate.

 One participant declared
the training “useless” because it lacked specific information about how to navigate the program’s interface.

 Technicians reportedly preferred shadow pharmacists who were using the program.

Training is important for effective operation and to minimize user frustration. Investing in the time needed to train users helps alleviate their struggles with the system.

Using technicians in med sync programs may promote program success because they engage with patients frequently and thus can take the lead in patient recruitment and coordination.

 Technicians can explain program details to patients and prepare them for changes in their care. Another benefit of using technicians to support the new service is that they can assist other pharmacy staff members who need training or help using the program.

The results of another study focusing on the roles of technicians in med sync programs showed that pharmacists deferred questions about patient enrollment and synchronization to technicians, suggesting they may be trusted to play a leading role in program execution.

One way to promote adoption of the program among pharmacy personnel may be by designating certain technicians as program champions. This allows them to feel invested in the program’s success and creates a sense of ownership about the new service. The results of another study showed particular success in using technicians to serve as the face of the program and actively engage with patients for enrollment. The technician champion was responsible for leading ABM implementation.

 Pharmacies using a champion in this role reported an increase in patient participation.

 Conversely, the results of another study showed that underutilization of technicians was common among those pharmacies struggling to implement med sync programs.

Technicians can play a significant role in ABM med sync programs and be instrumental to their success. If technicians are allowed to participate in program implementation, they may find the program rewarding for a variety of reasons. In addition, pharmacy operations may be smoother and lead to greater efficiencies, better patient outcomes, and more satisfied customers. Technicians will be able to spend less time on transactions and more time building their professional skills, thus enhancing their marketability and salary potential. Technicians should be aware of the barriers reported by peers so they may advocate for ways to overcome them, share best practices, and ask management for support when necessary.

 at Touro University California College of Pharmacy in Vallejo, California.

, is a professor in the Department of Social, Behavioral & Administrative Sciences at Touro University California College of Pharmacy in Vallejo.

Burkhart PV, Sabaté E. Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action. 

Renfro CP, Turner K, Seeto J, Ferreri SP. Medication synchronization adoption and pharmacy performance. 

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Medication adherence in America: a national report card. National Community Pharmacists Association. Accessed June 11, 2022.

http://www.ncpa.co/adherence/AdherenceReportCard_Full

Renfro C, Coulter D, Ly L, et al. Exploring pharmacy technician roles in the implementation of an appointment-based medication synchronization program. 

. 2020;8(1):28. doi:10.3390/pharmacy8010028

2019 NCPA Digest. National Community Pharmacists Association. Accessed August 22, 2022. http://www.ncpa.co/pdf/digest/2019/2019-digest.pdf

Flip the Pharmacy. Accessed July 26, 2022. https://www.flipthepharmacy.com

Cheng A, Hughes TD, Chen HH, Ozawa S, Ferrari SP. Beyond refill alignment: evaluating the impact of appointment-based model. 

. 2022;18(10):3751-3757. doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.05.004

Hughes TD, Minshew LM, Cutrell S, Ferreri SP. T.E.A.M.S.Work: leveraging technicians to enhance ABM med sync in community pharmacies. 

2020;8(2):51. doi:10.3390/pharmacy8020051

Desselle SP, Hoh R, Holmes ER, Gill A, Zamora L. Pharmacy technician self-efficacies: insight to aid future education, staff development, and workforce planning. 

2018;14(6):581-588. doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2017.07.005

Herbert SMC, Heck LA, Vogel AN, et al. Strategies for implementing the appointment-based model at a rural independent chain of community pharmacies. 

2022;62(1):104-111.e2. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2021.09.009

Articles

Appointment-based models are typically most effective when all pharmacy team members participate.

ABM Offers Opportunity for Professional Growth

Although related to coaching, mentorship is a unique topic deserving of its own attention. Mentors are unique because they elect to invest in the growth of another individual by sharing their knowledge while providing support and guidance.

Although all of us have had managers or supervisors, not everyone has had the opportunity to experience true mentorship. Coaches and managers push us to perform for the purpose of achieving a set goal, but a relationship with a mentor is different because it is transformational and aimed at developing the individual. The relationship is based on trust, support, and feedback. Mentorship in pharmacy is particularly important because it may contribute to the development of competent, proficient, and motivated pharmacists to lead the profession and continue to advance the field.

A recent study of pharmacist mentors and mentees was conducted to evaluate the lived experiences that contribute to these relationships and gain insight on best practices for developing new mentorship relationships and programs.

 The results of the study found that mentoring provided a sense of pride, as pharmacists felt they were giving back to the profession and that the relationship may be lifelong in successful instances. Mentees reflected favorably on the experience of being mentored, the flexibility of their mentorship partner, and the program.

Notably, a lack of engagement and commitment from one party led to frustration from the perspective of both mentors and mentees.

 These findings highlight the reciprocal and symbiotic nature of the mentor and mentee bond and may be the foundation of building a successful relationship.

Mentoring is providing guidance, counseling, and direction to a novice for the purpose of refining and developing their skills and knowledge base and helping to advance the mentee’s personal and professional growth. Identifying a worthy mentee who demonstrates inherent motivation for personal and professional development is essential to form the relationship because it may require significant time and energy from both parties. Although the time commitment may be viewed as a drawback and could deter some from participating in mentorship, it is important to realize the benefits as well. The relationship is often rewarding for both parties, as the mentor may experience intrinsic satisfaction by contributing to others’ lives and observing their advancement, while the mentee may experience an improvement in self-worth, confidence, and professional identity.

For mentoring relationships to be successful, trust must be established through clear and open communication regarding expectations. Additionally, both mentors and mentees should determine whether their values align with one another.

 Pharmacy managers acting as mentors should go beyond coaching. Although coaching has certain benefits, as it offers enhanced consultation and guidance, mentorship entails a more intimate and vested approach.

 Ultimately, mentoring may be more effective for knowledge transfer, development, motivation, and employee engagement.

Importantly, the study acknowledges a lack of mentoring culture within pharmacy, as opposed to medicine and nursing, where an abundance of literature exists surrounding the human needs of mentors and mentees involved in a mentoring relationship.

 Pharmacy managers should recognize that there is a need to establish a culture of mentorship within pharmacy where collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and engagement are promoted. Creating a culture of mentorship means supporting employees by generating opportunities to build deeper relationships, offering an individualized and personalized development approach, and identifying strong role models to serve as mentors.

Organizations can place value in mentoring programs by investing in the mentors and providing training and rewards for exhibiting commitment to the program, in order to encourage participation and ensure the program’s sustainability. Even in the absence of a formal mentoring program, the pharmacy manager should indicate the importance of and value placed on informal mentorship, encouraging all employees to learn from and look out for one another.

Pharmacy Management: Essentials for All Practice Settings, 5e

 is a PharmD candidate at Touro University California.

 is a professor of social and behavioral pharmacy at Touro University California.

1. Mantzourani E, Chang H, Desselle S,Canedo J, Fleming G. Reflections of mentors and mentees on a national mentoring programme for pharmacists: An examination into relationships, personal and professional development. 

Mentorship in pharmacy is particularly important because it may contribute to the development of competent, proficient, and motivated pharmacists to lead the profession and continue to advance the field.



Tip of the Week: Build a Culture of Mentorship in Your Pharmacy

Most people suffer from physical and mental fatigue at various points in their lives and it may negatively impact our ability to respond to situations requiring high levels of focus and concentration. Pharmacists may also be faced with occupational fatigue, which is multifactorial in nature and includes physical, mental, and emotional aspects, sometimes resulting from excessive workload in combination with the sharp mental acuity they must maintain throughout their careers. Recognizing that pharmacists may be confronted with occupational fatigue is important to acknowledge and address, since operating in a diminished capacity can lead to increased medication errors and compromises in patient safety.

A recent study conducted to categorize pharmacists’ fatigue found that both physical and mental fatigue were identified as key domains.1 The study, conducted by Watterson et al, explored occupational fatigue in pharmacists to determine whether the same dimensional structures found in other health professions were applicable to them. Survey respondents represented a broad array of practice settings and cumulatively worked an average of 9.5 hours per day.

The results showed that both physical and mental characteristics contributed to occupational fatigue. Of the possible survey responses related to the physical domain of fatigue, the most frequently selected responses included feeling that energy decreased over the course of the day, feeling more tired later in the day versus the beginning, and feeling generally fatigued, in a broader sense.

The most common reasons selected for mental fatigue included difficulty thinking clearly, forgetting whether or not tasks had been completed, spending longer completing a task later in the day, and feeling like they were not performing at their best. Elements that were found to be germane among other professionals but were not reported among pharmacists included feelings of pain and taking shortcuts when providing patient care to ameliorate mental fatigue. Although pharmacists may stand for very long periods, they did not report feeling pain or discomfort. Pharmacists did not acknowledge that mental fatigue contributed to taking shortcuts in patient care, which may be attributed to liability concerns and to being especially dutiful.

Watterson et al. constructed a conceptual model of occupational fatigue in pharmacists, which shows that excessive demands of the work system lead to occupational fatigue and may result in burnout, decreased job satisfaction, compromised patient safety, and a reduction in information retention.

 Pharmacies are unique health care settings where pharmacists may not have access to the same level of information that other health care providers do, such as a patients’ medical records, but are expected to provide timely advice and recommendations regarding the patient’s health and wellbeing. One of the most distinctive aspects of pharmacy that sets it apart from other health care settings is that the business is often for-profit, which adds another dimension of demand.

The quadruple aim framework emphasizes that there are 4 interrelated tenets to improve health care: better outcomes, lower costs, improved patient experiences, and the wellbeing of the health care provider. Given that pharmacists have to juggle so many tasks that require a high level of cognitive function, a more concerted effort to conceptualize solutions to prevent occupational fatigue should be addressed.

Organizations and supervisors must ensure that employees do not feel overextended so that they can perform their required tasks with the appropriate mental acuity and necessary precision. When employees hint or openly share that they are feeling overextended, managers should acknowledge their concerns and work toward creative solutions. Potential solutions may be providing training for better time management, delegating tasks, and developing more efficient workplace processes to help reduce stressors.

Examining job descriptions, workflow, redundancies, unnecessary tasks, availability of adequate resources, appropriate staffing levels at the right times of the day, information technology functioning, and other operational processes can potentially shed light on a combination of approaches to optimize labor capital and mitigate fatigue. It is essential to create open communication between managers and staff to ensure timely feedback and avoid creating a culture where employees feel penalized for identifying areas of concern. Focusing on the mental and physical well-being of employees may lead to better performance and patient outcomes.

is a professor of social and behavioral pharmacy at Touro University California.

Watterson TL, Look KA, Steege L, Chui MA. Operationalizing occupational fatigue in pharmacists: An exploratory factor analysis. 

When employees hint or openly share that they are feeling overextended, managers should acknowledge their concerns and work toward creative solutions. 

Tip of the Week: Fatigue Must Be Addressed in the Pharmacy Workforce

Pharmacy education typically deals with subjects such as pharmacology, medication management, and patient safety. Although knowledge of these topics is vital to the success of students, a more diverse skill set is necessary for them to excel on rotations and in their future careers.

This focus on clinical knowledge may be thought of as a “uni-professional” approach.

 Although necessary, it can be an impediment to optimal practice when pharmacists are members of a collaborative in which they are expected to work closely with other health care professionals. Beneficial in these settings is the “multiprofessional” approach, with its emphasis on abilities beyond clinical knowledge, that creates effective teams.

 By strengthening their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB), students can develop useful skills like leadership, good communication, and self-efficacy.

OCB can be defined as voluntary actions that are not part of a formally defined role and are performed without the expectation of recognition or compensation.

 In many ways, OCB mirrors the core values of the Oath of a Pharmacist, in which practitioners pledge to devote themselves to a lifetime of service through their profession.

 Advocating for continual improvement of care, the welfare of humanity, and the advancement of health equity may not be in the formal job description of most pharmacists, but they are behaviors that the best pharmacists exhibit. These OCB virtues can greatly benefit pharmacy students and new graduates.

OCBs can be further broken down into these components: altruism, sportsmanship, consciousnesses, courtesy, and civic virtue, all of which are essential to promoting collegiality while enhancing a group’s or department’s productivity.

 Civic virtue encompasses the behaviors of an individual who is a reliable participant in an organization. Altruism takes civic virtue a step further. Rather than merely completing the minimum of work, individuals exhibiting altruism take the initiative to help others without expecting anything in return. This behavior likely comes from employees who are highly engaged.

Collegiality is the cooperation among colleagues, and sportsmanship describes those behaviors that allow people to avoid conflict.

 Individuals who demonstrate sportsmanship maintain a positive attitude even when they don’t get their way and are not upset when their recommendations are not followed. It is essential for budding pharmacists to develop these behaviors in order to engage in effective conflict resolution, which is an important part of working in a team.

Those who exhibit OCBs are also likely to demonstrate higher levels of self-efficacy and personal initiative. In turn, people who have greater self-efficacy feel confident in their ability to perform tasks and contribute to organizational citizenship through their personal initiative.

 These individuals are more likely to attend voluntary meetings and assist colleagues with work-related problems because they are typically more organized and thus able to accommodate extra tasks. Students and newly graduated pharmacists who demonstrate OCBs will impress preceptors and pharmacy managers with their initiative and positivity.

In addition to greater productivity and better morale, ethical leadership—the modeling of ethical behavior, fair treatment of others, and the putting of ethics into practice

—has also been linked to OCBs. A recent study of nurses found
that ethical leadership was shown to enhance their trust in management and promote psychological well-being, thereby positively influencing organizational citizenship behaviors.

 This finding establishes an important link between OCBs and how contagious positivity translates into the health professionals’ work.

The principles of ethical leadership are not unlike the core values taught in pharmacy school, including beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. Pharmacy students can go beyond classroom learning and incorporate these principles in their lives and in their leadership style when managing support personnel. Practicing these behaviors makes it clear to others that you are a reliable and valued member of the team who can be looked upon as a role model. In addition, other team members are likely to follow suit and model your behavior.

Pharmacy students can demonstrate ethical leadership by being open to change and by adapting practices to best fit a given situation. They can also adopt a collegial stance during conflict resolution by considering the opinions of everyone involved and being compassionate and fair as they seek a solution.

Applying altruism, sportsmanship, consciousnesses, courtesy, and civic virtue in the workplace can foster interprofessional communication and help students and newly graduated pharmacists further their careers. OCBs create a win-win for students and graduates, their colleagues, supervisors, organization, profession, and the patients they serve.

 at the Touro University California College of Pharmacy in Vallejo, California.

, is a professor of social and behavioral pharmacy at the Touro University California College of Pharmacy in Vallejo, California.

1. Ascione FJ. Preparing pharmacists for collaborative/integrated health settings. 

. 2019;7(2):47. doi:10.3390/pharmacy7020047

2. Yaakobi E, Weisberg J. Organizational citizenship behavior predicts quality, creativity, and efficiency performance: the roles of occupational and collective efficacies. 

. 2020;11:1-18. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00758

3. Oath of a pharmacist. American Pharmacists Association. Accessed March 11, 2022. https://pharmacist.com/About/Oath-of-a-Pharmacist

Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Good Soldier Syndrome

5. Podsakoff NP, Whiting SW, Podsakoff PM, et al. Individual- and organizational-level consequences of organizational citizenship behaviors: a meta-analysis. 

6. Huang N, Qiu S, Yang S, et al. Ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: mediation of trust and psychological well-being. 

. 2021;14:655-664. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S311856

Students and new graduates can excel in their career through leadership,
communication skills, and self-efficacy.

Leveraging Organizational Citizenship Behaviors to Impress Preceptors and Pharmacy Managers

Many community pharmacies struggle to maintain healthy profit margins, as they experience waning dispensing revenues resulting from competition along with continuously tight reimbursement levels and fees assessed by pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs). Because of this, pharmacies must be on the hunt to diversify their revenue streams.

The prospect of offering various patient-centered services has long been a possibility in this regard. Pharmacy leaders must leverage their entrepreneurial skills to ensure their pharmacy identifies new areas of opportunity that correspond with evolving patient population needs and a key ingredient in adopting an entrepreneurial mindset is innovation.

A recent survey of community pharmacies examined factors associated with their service offerings. The survey elicited the type and frequency of services offered and included multiple possible responses, such as health screenings, disease state management, medication management services, point-of-care testing, medication reconciliation, complex non-sterile compounding, immunizations, and medication therapy adjustments. On average, community pharmacies offered 3 of the 8 services, with a larger number provided by supermarket and chain pharmacies and fewer by mass merchandiser pharmacies.

The results showed that innovation was the strongest element associated with the number of services offered. Innovation was measured as the sum of 3 items based on a 5-point Likert scale, wherein survey respondents were asked to select responses to the following statements: 1) “Our pharmacy is known as an innovator among pharmacies in our area,” 2) “We promote new, innovative services in our pharmacy,” and 3) “Our pharmacy provides leadership in developing new services.”

 Doucette et al. described innovation as a tendency to perform activities that develop and bring new services into markets.

Of the factors tested, perceived workload, pharmacy staffing, and involvement with an interprofessional care team were also positively correlated with the number of services provided. However, an increase of more than 3 technicians was negatively correlated and adequacy of resources was not shown to be significant.

These findings are relevant because they underscore the importance and value associated with innovation in any retail setting, whether a large chain or smaller independent pharmacy. Instilling innovation into the community pharmacy setting means applying creative and critical thinking skills to accomplish practical goals. Thanks to their high level of public accessibility, pharmacists are well positioned to contribute to the development of novel patient care approaches which could lead to viable business opportunities.

Furthermore, innovation is a skill that can be honed and nurtured. Pharmacy managers can cultivate an innovative mindset amongst staff members by adopting an attitude that is welcoming to change, which also establishes trust by welcoming new ideas and encouraging collaborative brainstorming. In doing so, managers are promoting a culture of innovation where employees feel safe and supported to express their creativity, offer solutions, and provide constructive feedback. Fostering this type of work culture may also result in better employee engagement.

Pharmacy managers can leverage innovation to identify and implement new services. The concept of innovation has broad applicability and may benefit many different types of pharmacy managers if instituted along with the goals of the pharmacy’s business model.

Pharmacy Management: Essentials for All Practice Settings, 5e.

Valerie Wasem is a PharmD Candidate at Touro University California. 

Shane P. Desselle, PhD, is a Professor of Social and Behavioral Pharmacy at Touro University California.

Doucette WR, Rippe JJ, Gaither CA, Kreling DH, Mott DA, Schommer JC.Influences on the frequency and type of community pharmacy services. 

Moczygemba LR, Desselle SP. Entrepreneurship and innovation. In: Zgarrick DP, Desselle SP, Moczygemba LR, & Alston G (Eds.). 

. New York: McGraw Hill; 2020: pp.657-670.

Pharmacy managers can cultivate an innovative mindset amongst staff members by adopting an attitude that is welcoming to change.

 Tip of the Week: Innovation Influences New Pharmacy Services

Appointment-based model (ABM) medication synchronization is a system that streamlines the delivery of prescription medications by aligning patients’ medications so that they can be easily picked up once or twice per month. In addition to being associated with improved adherence for patients on multiple medications, synchronization also provides better convenience for patients with limited transportation and mobility.

Organization and careful planning are essential in order to have successful and sustained implementation of ABM medication synchronization. If the appropriate systems, software, processes, procedures, and staff do not support the new service, then ultimately neither pharmacy performance nor patient outcomes will benefit, and both may actually suffer. Medication synchronization may be beneficial but understanding how to integrate the service into operations is just as important as offering the service itself.

A study of 155 community pharmacies aimed to examine characteristics associated with adoption of medication synchronization programs as well as the impact of this service on patient adherence outcomes and pharmacy performance. The findings of the study indicated that pharmacies which adopted medication synchronization were not significantly associated with total medication adherence performance.

 The study examined the effect of medication synchronization on total performance score (e.g., costs, utilization, adherence) and on medication adherence measures specifically (e.g., diabetes, statins, antihypertensives) and did not find an effect regardless of how performance was measured.

The study also found that a prevailing characteristic was the presence of a clinical pharmacist on staff, which significantly increased adoption of the medication synchronization program, but yet still did not establish a specific role that the clinical pharmacist played in supporting the program.

 The results of the study suggest that a standard process needs to be developed for these interventions to be successful in practice.

Furthermore, the findings of the study are meaningful because they demonstrate that although medication synchronization may have a positive effect on patient adherence when examined at the individual level, the benefits are not as readily apparent when examined at the pharmacy’s performance level, thus highlighting the need to evaluate successful implementation strategies and sustained execution within the pharmacy.

Pharmacy managers can be integral to the success of medication synchronization programs. They must confront any misconceptions that merely adopting a program alone will lead to improved pharmacy performance. As with any new service being offered in the pharmacy, careful consideration must be given to the appropriate support systems in place.Pharmacy managers can approach integrating the service as they would with other potential new service offerings, by establishing the appropriate systems software, workflow procedures, manuals, staff training, and feedback mechanisms to allow for modifications. Pharmacy managers can also leverage pharmacy technicians in implementing ABM medication synchronization as their role continues to expand.

Ultimately, medication synchronization is an important tool because it can benefit the pharmacy in a variety of ways, including through increased prescriptions fills which translate into more revenue, reduced inventory due to anticipated and reliable prescription refill frequency patterns, and decreased number of patient calls regarding refill questions and requests. Medication synchronization programs will also likely result in greater patient satisfaction and could perhaps facilitate customer loyalty. The pharmacy manager, though, cannot just assume that the program will work and be optimized without proper planning for long-term sustainability, incorporating it into strategic planning, and managing its operation in conjunction with other services being offered.

is a PharmD candidate at Touro University California.

Renfro CP, Turner K, Seeto J, & Ferrari SP. Medication synchronization adoption and pharmacy performance. 

Medication synchronization may be beneficial, but understanding how to integrate the service into operations is just as important as offering the service itself.