Delivering Peace of Mind: Why Proof of Delivery Matters in Prescription Medication

Ever since it has been possible to have medication delivered by courier or by mail, there have been countless questions about the safety of such practices.  Unfortunately, in many cases, the mail-order pharmacies were letting people down and the doubts about how safe medication by mail is would never shift. This led to people missing out on medication and in some cases receiving it unsafely.

Luckily, things are changing and the advent of a more finessed independent pharmacy delivery service has helped avoid such issues. That is not to say such issues are no longer prevalent. Some pharmacies are still cutting corners to protect their bottom line without understanding that the profits being delivered are only short-lived when patient service standards are pushed down the list of priorities. When starting your own independent pharmacy, this is something we advise you always take into account. Cutting corners not only ends up ruining your business, it also proves to be extremely detrimental to the health of the patients using your pharmacy.

Proof of delivery is part of the process in medicine delivery that gives both the pharmacy, the patient and their doctor complete peace of mind that a regimen is at least being met in its simplest form. Ultimately it falls to the patient themselves to make sure it is then adhered to.

At RxMile, we see proof of delivery as vital. The difference that offering a proof of delivery can make to your pharmacy as a business, and to your patients as service users is huge.

In this month’s blog, we illustrate just how crucial it is to you as pharmacy owners and to your patients that a service offering full proof of delivery is worthwhile.

Helping to manage patient safety through proof of delivery

In many cases, those receiving medication via a pharmacy delivery service are those that may suffer from conditions where movement is perhaps limited, or the issues bought on by ill health keep them housebound for long periods of time.

Where they cannot access a pharmacy as readily as someone more able, a reliance on the correct medication being delivered at the correct time is vital to ensure the management of health problems.

Proof of delivery in these instances not only gives the pharmacy the knowledge that the items have been safely delivered but gives the patient full peace of mind that what they require will be delivered when it is requested.  This isn’t foolproof though. Some of the more unscrupulous couriers may deliver medications and class proof of delivery as a photo of a package outside a doorway. With medication, this is just not acceptable. Especially when a patient isn’t informed that the delivery has been made. Medicines left outside a door or on a porch for example can be exposed to the hot weather that then renders them useless.  In 2021/22 more than 50% of the top selling 50 drugs in the USA required a constant 2-8 degree storage temperature.

Providing accountability and traceability

Within many industries, where a delivery goes missing or arrives at the wrong address, a quick call or email to a customer service desk can rectify the issue. Even a quick social media post on a community page can see your items turn up at your door relatively quickly.

With medication, that risk is a little too great. Especially, if like we mentioned above, there are specific temperature requirements for it.

With proof of delivery in pharmacy delivery services, full accountability and tracking allow both the service providers, pharmacies and end users to see exactly what is happening.

A chain of accountability is automatically created in the whole medication distribution process.

From the moment the doctor prescribes the medication through to the moment the patient receives it, each part of the journey is possible to be logged and viewed.  This traceability then allows for issues such as stolen packages, lost packages, or delayed packages to be investigated and resolved promptly ensuring patients are kept at the forefront of the prescription delivery service model. With a platform like that offered by RxMile, the routes for delivery can be optimized but at the same time tracked, by not just the pharmacy but the patient too, affording them much more confidence that their required medication will be delivered as and when needed.  Rather than dropped off at a random time, possibly in unsafe storage conditions.

Legal compliance and regulatory requirements

In some cases, proof of delivery may constitute a legal requirement but without a way to document it, you could find yourself falling foul of the law. Opting for RxMile software means that your pharmacy has no need to worry about whether it is compliant or not. With technology that enables contactless signature capture, 10 years of record keeping and a prescription delivery portal, you always remain on the right side of the DSCSA.

If though, you have chosen not to embrace the assistance RxMile brings you would be wise to understand the implications of operating without full compliance. If for example, records of delivery have not been kept and adherence to regulations are not met, you could see your pharmacy fined or even shut down. You may even see yourself prosecuted.

Assisting in medication adherence

Quite often, a regimen of different medications can lead to patients often failing to complete a programme of one or more medicines. Sometimes though, just one prescription can be enough for patients to forget. Whilst no medication delivered to the door can be forcibly administered, a proof of delivery goes someway to showing that the doctor, the pharmacy and the courier have done everything asked of them to get the medication to the patient.

By having this proof of delivery, if no improvement in the condition is detected or it becomes known that the patient is not taking their medication, interventions can be introduced to improve adherence rates which will then lead to better patient health.

In addition, the proof of delivery will allow for follow-up reminders where necessary as both the pharmacy and doctor will be able to see when the medication was last received and check in with the patient to get updates on how well the medication is working or any difficulties the patient may have with it.

Should your independent pharmacy be concerned about the safe delivery of medication and be looking to overcome common pharmacy pain points,  speak to the team at RxMile. Ran by pharmacists for pharmacists, RxMile is the platform that can transform your pharmacy into not just a fully compliant pharmacy but one that helps you deliver results for your patients and your business. With real-time tracking, captured proof of delivery, route optimization and simple integration with your existing tech, RxMile brings your pharmacy into the future. Book a demo today to see how it can work for you and unlock new potential for your pharmacy.