23 Pharmacy Technology Firms Shaping the Future of the Industry

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Have you ever wished someone would invent something to help your patients adhere to their medication regimens?

Have you ever wished someone would invent something to help your patients adhere to their medication regimens? How about a program that increases collaboration between health care providers?

Well, there’s an app for that—or at least there's software.

As our society becomes more technology-oriented, pharmacies are now incorporating some of the latest and greatest gadgets and software programs to streamline operations, improve customer service, cut costs, and help patients. The market for innovative pharmacy management products is exploding as pharmacists increasingly look to leverage technology to solve problems.

The following 23 pharmacy technology firms listed in alphabetical order are shaping the future of the industry.

1. Advera Health Analytics

Headquarters: Santa Rosa, California

What It Does: Advera provides programs and services that offer analytics, data, and insights for managed care organizations, health systems and hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies.

Accomplishments: The company has released numerous reports linking adverse drug reactions and side effects to a drug’s total financial impact.

New/Innovative Projects: Advera offers a series of analytical tools to make post-approval drug safety data accessible and actionable, including RxFilter, RxCost, RxSignal, and RxScore.

2. Asteres

Headquarters: San Diego, California

What It Does: Asteres provides automated solutions for the purchase and controlled pickup of finished prescriptions in convenient locations.

Accomplishments: ScriptCenter MX kiosks are located in various places such as retail stores, hospitals, corporate worksites, and military bases worldwide.

New/Innovative Projects: ScriptCenter kiosks provide patients a faster way to drop off and pick up their prescriptions even when the pharmacy is closed, or in locations without a pharmacy. ScriptLocker works with the ScriptCenter to accommodate oversized item storage, payment, and pickup, and it can use cooler boxes and cold packs for items that require refrigeration.

3. Avera eCare

Headquarters: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

What It Does: Avera ePharmacy helps hospitals ensure that prescribed medications are appropriate for a patient when pharmacist coverage is unavailable by checking for allergic and drug reactions and verifying medication dosage.

Accomplishments: Avera eCare is accredited for online patient consultation by the American Telemedicine Association and received the Healthcare Leadership Council Wellness Frontiers Award.

New/Innovative Projects: In the past 12 months, Avera ePharmacy has logged 10,000 interventions, 5500 avoided adverse drug events, and $13 million cost savings from avoided adverse drug events—all with a 17-minute average turnaround time.

4. CompleteRx

Headquarters: Houston, Texas

What It Does: CompleteRx helps improve pharmacy supply chain efficiency by performing operations audits, assessing use of automation, assisting with regulatory issues, and mapping workflows.

Accomplishments: CompleteRx has received several awards, including the HR Impact Award, and it has been included on several lists, such as Modern Healthcare's Top Pharmacy Contractors, the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing US Private Companies, and Entrepreneur's Hot 500.

New/Innovative Projects: CompleteRx experts have a Lean Six Sigma project that maps workflows, pinpoints inefficiencies, and assesses staffing levels.

5. Computer-Rx

Headquarters: Moore, Oklahoma

What It Does: The company offers pharmacy management products, including WinRx for pharmacy management, WinScan for point-of-sale management, WinRx Central for managing multiple pharmacy sites, and WinRx Connect Web and smartphone apps.

Accomplishments: Computer-Rx has more than 2000 customers in 47 states.

New/Innovative Projects: WinRxRefill.com is a Web portal that enables patients to view and print their prescription profile and order refills online. The Rx 2 Go refill app allows patients to order refills from their Apple or Android smartphones.

6. CoverMyMeds

Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio

What It Does: CoverMyMeds works with electronic health record systems (EHRs), health plans, pharmacy systems, and prescribers to initiate, transmit, and track the status of prior authorization requests within the clinical workflow.

Accomplishments: CoverMyMeds has received awards from several industry organizations, including Health Care Heroes, The American Business Awards, and Inc. 500.

New/Innovative Projects: The company offers an e-prior authorization transaction that provides the ability to receive approvals in real time. Services are free to pharmacies and prescribers because the company is financially supported by payers and drug manufacturers.

7. Datalogic

Headquarters: Eugene, Oregon

What It Does: Datalogic provides automatic data capture and automation solutions for the health care industry.

Accomplishments: Datalogic owns more than 1000 patents. The company partners with companies like IBM, HP, Microsoft, Oracle, Accenture, and Toshiba for cooperative research and development projects.

New/Innovative Projects: Datalogic uses RFID solutions for real-time inventory management, document tracking, and access control. New products include the DL-Axist PDA for merchandising and stock management and the Joya Touch Mobile Computer for inventory management.

8. DrFirst

Headquarters: Rockville, Maryland

What It Does: DrFirst provides software solutions and services that offer real-time access to patient data. The company focuses on medication management, care collaboration, and medication adherence.

Accomplishments: DrFirst’s services are used by more than 40,000 providers and 60% of health care information technology vendors. The company has been named in Deloitte’s 2015 Technology Fast 500 and Trending 40 Washington’s Fastest Growing Companies lists, as well as received a 2015 Corporate Culture Award from SmartCEO.

New/Innovative Projects: In January 2016, DrFirst released Rcopia 4, the newest version of its flagship e-medication management platform. It offers a mobile e-prescribing application and advances in integration architecture, interface design, and user customizability.

9. Drug Assistant

Headquarters: Amarillo, Texas

What It Does: Drug Assistant provides software that captures data from hospital or pharmacy information systems and identifies patients who may qualify for assistance programs.

Accomplishments: Drug Assistant implemented a statewide solution to manage the Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program, which has generated more than $375 million in free or reduced-cost prescriptions for Kentucky residents.

New/Innovative Projects: The company offers products that help hospitals restock medications given to indigent patients, thereby reducing charity care spending. It also offers products that support maintenance medication programs.

10. Dymaximum

Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario

What It Does: Dymaximum works with top-tier pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies and connects them with payers to facilitate opportunities for communication and collaboration in the formulary, reimbursement, and market access ecosystem.

Accomplishments: The company allows users to access the insights and evidence from the more than 1200 registered US payers on the AMCP eDossier System.

New/Innovative Projects: Dymaximum offers customized solutions, including an outcomes analyzer, visual interfaces, scenario comparison tools, and interactive training simulation software.

11. First Databank (FDB)

Headquarters: South San Francisco, California

What It Does: FDB offers drug knowledge solutions to help pharmacies manage EHRs, e-prescribing, retail and hospital pharmacy dispensing, medication reconciliation, drug claims processing, medication therapy management, formulary management, and more.

Accomplishments: FDB’s MedKnowledge, which provides detailed information about every FDA-approved drug, is a key component in most retail pharmacy dispensing systems in the United States and Canada.

New/Innovative Projects: The company recently released FDB OrderKnowledge Canada, a pre-built medication ordering drug knowledge base designed to make computerized provider order entry applications intuitive and user-friendly.

12. Healthcare Research & Analytics (HRA)

Headquarters: Parsippany, New Jersey

What It Does: HRA offers custom quantitative and qualitative research for retail and hospital pharmacies.

Accomplishments: HRA prepared a white paper on health care reform and the changing role of the retail and specialty pharmacy and appeared at several national pharmacy conferences.

New/Innovative Projects: The company offers Pharmacy Times Pulse rapid response surveys, which are conducted in collaboration with HRA, Pharmacy Times, and Specialty Pharmacy Times.

13. iHealth

Headquarters: Mountain View, California

What It Does: The company offers wireless health devices such as blood pressure monitors, scales, fitness devices, pulse oximeters, and glucometers.

Accomplishments: iHealth has teamed up with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) by including links to content on the ADA website in its Gluco-Smart mobile application.

New/Innovative Projects: The company offers a wireless Smart Gluco-Monitoring System that connects with smartphones and tablets to record glucose readings in the app logbook. It also tracks the quantity and expiration date of test strips when the QR code on the vial is scanned.

14. INRange Systems

Headquarters: Altoona, Pennsylvania

What It Does: The company offers remote medication management and first-dose emergency kits for pharmacies and skilled-nursing/assisted-living facilities.

Accomplishments: INRange’s Remote Medication Management System (RMMS) is the only device cleared by the FDA for remote medication management.

New/Innovative Projects: The company’s RMMS uses the Electronic Medication Management Assistant (EMMA). Pharmacists can remotely program the EMMA device that is located in a patient’s residence.

15. Kirby Lester

Headquarters: Lake Forest, Illinois

What It Does: The company offers tablet counters and robotic dispensing systems for pharmacies.

Accomplishments: Pharmacies that use Kirby Lester products have won numerous awards, including Chain Drug Review Retailer of the Year, McKesson Pharmacy of the Year, and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Prescription Drug Safety Award.

New/Innovative Projects: The company’s KL1Plus and KL30 models prevent prescription filling errors due to the wrong medication or strength.

16. MedAssets

Headquarters: Alpharetta, Georgia

What It Does: MedAssets is a health care performance improvement company that helps companies streamline operations and improve finances.

Accomplishments: The company employs more than 1000 experts and is a leader in applying lean process improvement methodologies in health care.

New/Innovative Projects: MedAssets offers supply-chain and procure-to-pay solutions, cost/operational/clinical analytics, and strategic sourcing services.

17. MedKeeper

Headquarters: Denver, Colorado

What It Does: MedKeeper offers medication tracking, checklist, and workflow applications for hospital pharmacies.

Accomplishments: MedKeeper’s products integrate with staff workflows and free up pharmacists so that they can be more efficient.

New/Innovative Projects: One platform is capable of handling all pharmacy operation needs.

18. Parata Systems

Headquarters: Durham, North Carolina

What It Does: Parata offers automated dispensing, adherence packaging, and consulting/support services for pharmacies.

Accomplishments: Parata is used in more than 12,000 pharmacies and automates up to 70% of prescription volume.

New/Innovative Projects: Parata PASS includes specially packaged medications and software to help pharmacists promote medication adherence.

19. Pharmacy Computer Services, Inc

Headquarters: Grants Pass, Oregon

What It Does: Pharmacy Computer Services, Inc, offers data conversion, archive, inventory, and pharmacy management software.

Accomplishments: The Rx3000 Pharmacy management system is used in pharmacies throughout the United States and Canada.

New/Innovative Projects: The Mazama Pharmacy Inventory System is a cloud-based inventory system that allows pharmacies to share inventory across multiple locations, establish reorder points, automatically generate purchase orders, and view historical transactions.

20. RXinsider

Headquarters: West Warwick, Rhodes Island

What It Does: RXinsider offers multimedia publications, technology platforms, research tools, and marketing resources for the pharmacy community.

Accomplishments: RXinsider partners with industry organizations, including the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and the NCPA.

New/Innovative Projects: The company offers a buyer’s guide for pharmacy managers, a virtual pharmacy trade show exhibiting industry leaders and their product offerings, and a quarterly publication focused on improving patient care or cost containment.

21. Suncrest Solutions

Headquarters: Orem, Utah

What It Does: Suncrest offers HIPAA-compliant communication options that improve and enhance overall communication from behind the pharmacy counter to patients and staff in a health care facility.

Accomplishments: The company serves hospital, retail, and clinic pharmacies and offers packages and pricing to suit every need and budget.

New/Innovative Projects: Suncrest offers a series of products, including the DisplayRX prescription notification digital display system, the BedsideRx discharge status and communication system, the HangRx automated will-call/bin management system, and the UCheck-in pharmacy patient check-in kiosk.

22. SureScripts

Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia

What It Does: SureScripts offers clinical messaging, e-prescription, and medication history solutions for the health care industry.

Accomplishments: SureScripts partners with more than 700 EHR applications used by more than 900,000 health care professionals and more than 1000 hospitals.

New/Innovative Projects: The CompletEPA system is a real-time, end-to-end electronic prior authorization solution that reduces paperwork and integrates with existing e-prescribing and EHR workflows.

23. TheraDoc

Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina

What It Does: TheraDoc offers antimicrobial stewardship and eSurveillance programs for hospitals to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use.

Accomplishments: TheraDoc’s solutions reduce the median time to appropriate therapy by 27% and reduce the odds of infection-related mortality by 76%.

New/Innovative Projects: TheraDoc helps hospitals manage hospital-acquired infections, antimicrobial stewardship programs, and antimicrobial expenditures by providing antimicrobial and microbiology data on resistance rates, inappropriate therapies, and patient-specific treatment.

These companies are on the cutting edge of pharmacy technology and have products from apps, to analytics, to automated dispensing in order to address a wide range of needs. As technology continues to advance, it will be exciting to see what new innovations these companies develop to help pharmacies become more efficient and improve customer service.

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