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The advent of Covid-19 has accelerated the growth of virtual consultations across the UK healthcare sector. As NHS resources continue to be stretched and waiting times increase, the growth of virtual consultations in the private sector has increased dramatically. Many operators in the private sector offer general GP services via a digital-first approach, such as Babylon Health and HealthHero. However, one of the most significant changes driven by Covid is that traditional in-person clinics are pivoting to offering a virtual service to treat patients. For example, an existing Phlo Connect partner, The Dermatology Partnership pre-covid, only offered in-person consultations; however, they now operate a hybrid model throughout their clinics to allow their patients increased flexibility and convenience.
To date, the approach to virtual healthcare has been focused on the clinical/patient journey up to the point of prescription fulfilment. Most operators have a seamless journey from patient registration to consultation; however, a patient’s access to their treatment post-consultation is often an afterthought. This can cause problems for both the patient and the healthcare provider. At Phlo Connect, we believe that technology shouldn’t digitise existing broken processes but improve and change how the healthcare system functions.
This blog explores the key benefits to private healthcare providers when partnering with Phlo Connect.
In a previous blog, we set out how the current process for patients is broken. By providing a seamless digital patient experience from consultation to fulfilment of a prescription, healthcare providers improve the overall experience for their patients. If a patient has chosen a digital consultation, it is fair to assume they don’t want to travel to a pharmacy and collect their prescription. By partnering with Phlo Connect, we can integrate directly into your application and offer your patients a seamless pharmacy experience from the comfort of their own homes.
Access to medication should never be an afterthought. By providing an integrated pharmacy service to your patients, you will improve their overall experience when using your service. Phlo Connect completes the digital experience and empowers your patients to choose a fulfilment process that suits them.
Partnering with Phlo Connect enables you to integrate our pharmacy service directly into your patient-facing app and clinical systems. You can send digital prescriptions automatically and track the process from dispensing to delivery. No longer do your clinical or patient care teams need to chase disparate pharmacies across the country and the associated administrative burden of managing these pharmacies. By streamlining your pharmacy offering via Phlo Connect, your patient care teams can speak directly with Phlo as and when required.
Our patient care team can handle patient queries regarding their prescription leaving your team to focus on tasks which only you can manage. This frees up your time to focus on clinical issues with peace of mind that our team can handle a patient’s subscription inquiries.
“ Since Phlo has become our official pharmacy partner, we have significantly improved our end-to-end patient experience and have witnessed some great operational efficiencies. The Phlo team are great to work with and took the time to understand our patient/clinical journeys to deliver a convenient pharmacy solution for our patients.”
Nabila Chaudhri, Global Director of Pharmacy (Babylon Health)
There is no agreed pricing tariff in the private healthcare sector to regulate medication costs to patients. As a result, pharmacies can charge whatever price they like for medication. The outcome of this for a private patient is that the cost of medication can vary drastically from pharmacy to pharmacy.
Phlo Connect addresses this issue by agreeing on a pricing mechanism based on the top items prescribed by your clinicians. This approach enables you to ensure that your patients receive the most competitive price in the market compared to other providers. In addition, we review the cost of medication regularly to ensure that your patients are not overcharged.
By agreeing to a pricing matrix upfront, you can use this feature to help promote your services to patients, differentiating your offer from your competitors. We always strive to offer the best pricing, and for some items, we can even match the current NHS prescription charge.
The pharmacy sector works on a just in time stock management process. In practice, this means that pharmacies will stock a basic amount of medication comprised of the most prescribed items. However, a pharmacy doesn’t know what patients will require when they venture into their store on any given day. Therefore, if the medication is not in stock, it will need to be ordered in, and the patient will have to return later to pick up their prescription.
Phlo Connect addresses this issue by working with your clinicians to understand your most prescribed medication and ensure (subject to any supply chain issues) that we have these items in stock for your patient.
Integrating with Phlo Connect completes the digital experience for clinicians and patients. It addresses the broken processes of the past and ensures a seamlessly integrated healthcare experience from consultation to fulfilment of medication. Removing these barriers ensures that your patient experience is one of the 21st century and no longer one of the analogue world. By adopting a digital pharmacy service, you will improve your internal processes and deliver on the vision of a true end to end digital consultation. Ultimately these benefits will increase your overall retention levels.
Subject to meeting our minimum weekly order volumes, it is free to integrate with Phlo Connect, so If you want to learn more about our service, get in touch with our team today.
