Spartanburg, SC -- September 9, 2004 -- Medicine-On-Time, a nationally recognized developer of a medication therapy management system, announced today that it has launched a real-time software interface that links QS/1 Data Systems' pharmacy software products with the Medicine-On-Time system, thereby eliminating redundant data entry and increasing data accuracy. The system, called the "Medicine-On-Time Gateway," is the result of a collaborative research and development effort between QS/1 Data Systems, a market leader in pharmacy management, and Medicine-On-Time. Pharmacists who use the Medicine-On-Time system and QS/1's RxCare Plus or PrimeCare Release 17.8 or higher can benefit from the time savings and greater transcribing accuracy that the interface provides.
"Approximately 50 percent of Medicine-On-Time's customers use QS/1 software in their pharmacies, and dual entry was limiting the time our pharmacists could spend with their patients," commented Ian Salditch, chief executive officer of Medicine-On-Time. "The interface helps to incorporate Medicine-On-Time's medication management system more effectively and efficiently into the pharmacies' day-to-day operations, enabling pharmacists to grow their business and focus on helping patients."
As a pharmacist enters patient or prescription data into the QS/1 software, the interface automatically updates the relevant records in the Medicine-On-Time system. Prior to this development, pharmacists had to enter data twice, once into the QS/1 system and then again into the Medicine-On-Time system. The "Medicine-On-Time Gateway" fully integrates the Medicine-On-Time's medication therapy management system with QS/1 software, helping pharmacists to tackle medication misuse and increase patient care without compromising efficiency or productivity.
"This Medicine-On-Time interface provides real-time communication between Medicine-On-Time and QS/1's pharmacy management software, and allows for a safer, efficient and more accurate prescription process for customers taking multiple daily medications," commented Chuck Gordon, product research specialist for QS/1 Data Systems.
PharmaCare of Cumberland, based in Cumberland, Maryland, implemented the Medicine-On-Time system five years ago and has used QS/1's PrimeCare pharmacy software since 1998. The team at PharmaCare of Cumberland beta-tested the "Medicine-On-Time Gateway," during which time they audited the transfer of data. Within the first week, PharmaCare of Cumberland's staff began to notice 50 percent savings in time and improved accuracy with data transcribing, enabling the pharmacy to advance its operational efficiencies and enhance the level of patient care it offers.
"The 'Medicine-On-Time Gateway' reduces the time we spend entering patient data into the system by half - it's a tremendous time saver," commented Jill Ashenfelter, assisted-living department supervisor at PharmaCare of Cumberland. "The interface allows us to focus our attentions on our patients by freeing up valuable time that lets us work on other patient safety programs, such as barcode verification, as well as grow the Medicine-On-Time portion of the business."
The interface went live in June 2004 and is currently being installed in pharmacies across the country.
The Medicine-On-Time system allows pharmacists to pre-sort and package patients' multiple prescription drugs into a series of personalized dosage cups, which are labeled with the administration date and time. As a result, patients take their medicines on time and can avoid additional health and medical problems that arise from medication misuse. QS/1's RxCare Plus pharmacy system provides vital pharmacy management tools, including disease management, third-party billing and prescription processing. QS/1's PrimeCare management software provides similar management services for institutional pharmacies serving long-term care, mental health, assisted living or correctional facilities.
About Medicine-On-Time (www.medicine-on-time.com)
Medicine-On-Time offers an innovative personal prescription system designed to simplify the lives of patients taking multiple medications. Streamlining medication management with the Medicine-On-Time System significantly reduced prescription medication non-adherence, which accounts for more than $177 billion in avoidable health care costs annually in the United States. Medicine-On-Time licenses its solution to pharmacies, which in turn offer the service to consumers and institutional clients such as assisted-living providers and visiting nurse groups. More than 300 pharmacies nationwide use the Medicine-On-Time system to dispense more than three-quarter million prescriptions per month. Nearly 100,000 patients receive their prescriptions in Medicine-On-Time packaging. The company is based in Owings Mills, MD.
About QS/1 (www.qs1.com)
QS/1, a leading provider for healthcare software, serves customers in independent pharmacies, drug/food chain pharmacies, institutional pharmacies, hospital outpatient pharmacies and HME businesses throughout North America. QS/1 is a division of the J.M. Smith Corporation, the third largest privately held company in South Carolina. |