The (Mega) Impact of Pharmacy on Healthcare, Part 2

tensionapdev on October 19, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic showcased the essential role of pharmacies in healthcare, with the PREP Act enabling pharmacists and technicians to expand their services, such as administering childhood vaccinations. As the act nears its expiration in 2024, pharmacies are advocating for its extension and modernizing state laws to create more uniform regulations. Investing in pharmacy automation and empowering technicians can help pharmacies adapt to evolving healthcare demands while advancing their capabilities and efficiency.

In part one of this series, we highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the vital role that pharmacies play in our healthcare system. Now, we’ll look at the impact of the PREP Act on pharmacy and the potential implications for its future. 

The PREP Act and Pharmacy

In response to the pandemic, many state governments invoked the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) to allow pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians additional flexibilities, such as ordering and administering ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recommended childhood vaccinations, irrespective of state laws or regulations. The PREP Act helped pharmacies across the country quickly pivot and scale their operations to meet the needs of their communities.  

The Future of Pharmacy and the PREP Act

Now that the pandemic is beginning to subside, pharmacies are looking to the future and advocating for the PREP Act to be extended beyond its current expiration date of Oct. 1, 2024. In addition, pharmacies are pushing for state laws to be modernized so that there is more uniformity between states. 

Pharmacies can continue to collaborate to modernize state laws where there is a gap between allowed pharmacy services and work together to find common issues to advocate for at the national level (e.g., allow pharmacy technicians to administer flu vaccines). 

Pharmacy Evolution and the PREP Act

Following the PREP Act, legislation could also positively impact pharmacies as healthcare demands continue to expand during a time when labor is hard to find. 

First, pharmacies could consider investments in pharmacy automation solutions and central-fill pharmacies, which allows more empowerment and responsibilities for pharmacy technicians who would need to be specially trained on the equipment. Also, advocacy for legislation to allow pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines (in addition to the COVID-19 vaccine) could provide greater career progression and path for them.  

Advocating for Change in Healthcare

As we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. The successes achieved by pharmacies during the pandemic provide a strong foundation for advocacy efforts in the future. 

By working together and advocating for changes at both the state and national levels, pharmacies can ensure that they are prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead.  

About Tension

Tension Packaging and Automation has pharmacy automation solutions to help your pharmacy grow as the industry continues to evolve. Contact us today to discuss how we can help. 

The (Mega) Impact of Pharmacy on Healthcare, Part 1

tensionapdev on September 15, 2022

The Critical Role Pharmacies Played Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program

Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination, a program announced in early 2021 under the Biden administration to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines for the American public, pharmacies are responsible for administering more than 263 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 50 million COVID-19 tests to date. This massive reach is not only a testament to the impact the pharmacy industry had and continues to have on the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccine boosters become available. Pharmacies set the stage for the critical role they will play in American healthcare.

Pharmacy Infrastructure: Paving the Way for a National Wellness Solution 

More than 41,000 pharmacy locations participated in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, providing an infrastructure that gave the American public access to trained healthcare professionals during a time when they were greatly needed across all demographics. Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program:

  • 40% of the COVID-19 vaccines were administered to racial and ethnic minorities1
  • 70% of the COVID-19 tests were given to those in moderate to high social vulnerability1

The American healthcare system was stretched before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the added COVID-19-related needs for vaccines and testing, community pharmacies are in a prime position to serve as an extension of care to fill in gaps for other vaccines, chronic disease management, and even mental health services for all who need it.

America Puts Their Trust in Pharmacies

Public trust in pharmacies is high collectively coming to the public’s rescue with services urgently needed during the COVID-19 pandemic (and largely to those who needed it most in areas of high social vulnerability). As such, the time is right to build on that foundation of trust by creating pharmacies as a “test and treat” destination for flu, RSV, strep, and other seasonal illnesses. Pharmacies also serve as the care destination for acute illnesses and chronic diseases. 

Contact Tension

The demands are high when it comes to patient needs. Tension Packaging & Automation works to help our customers navigate those demands with our pharmacy packaging and automation solutions for mail-order, central-fill, and specialty pharmacies. Contact us to start a discussion on how we can help your pharmacy operations.

Source

1 – NACDS TSE Presentation “Pharmaceutical Issues, Trends and Forecasts,” by Lisa Smith, Walmart Senior Director, Health & Wellness.

The Perfect Fit Part 2, Packaging Solutions for Labor Shortages

tensionapdev on July 6, 2022

Labor shortages continue to challenge warehouses, but automation offers a powerful solution. Tension’s HPS-300 Variable Length Poly Bagging System reduces reliance on manual labor while increasing productivity, packaging up to 18 items per minute—four to five times faster than manual packing. By automating right-sized packaging for items like clothing, shoes, and soft goods, the HPS-300 helps businesses cut costs, improve efficiency, and stay ahead in a competitive market.

In our previous post, we discussed how our HPS-300 Variable Length Poly Bagging System can help solve a need for sustainable packaging solutions by creating less waste inside and outside of the package. Now, we’ll explore how the HPS-300 can help organizations overcome issues related to labor shortages.  

The “Why” Behind Labor Shortages 

Labor shortages, especially for warehouse workers, were a challenge prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and have since become exacerbated, with more than 19 million US workers having quit their jobs since April 2021.  

Financial incentives in the form of higher hourly rates are simply not working in terms of attracting new, quality and long-term talent. Instead, they attract short-term employees and tend to cause loyal, tenured associates to become disgruntled if they are not also financially rewarded. Secondly, the days of endless labor supplied at low wages are long gone. Associates seek a work/life balance, recognition and rewarding, enjoyable work. This means flexible schedules, time off when needed and reduced physical requirements of the job when possible. 

The answer for improvement in labor shortages and related associate satisfaction lies in automation. Companies can incorporate it to help reduce physical demands, training and overall staffing with their labor force and get packages to customers in a shorter amount of time. 

The Ideal Automation Solution: Tension’s HPS-300 

The HPS-300 variable length poly bagging system creates right-sized packages to reduce packaging waste and uses cost-effective C-Fold poly film material with a heat seal to create a tamper-resistant, durable package.

Designed specifically for shipping variable size items, the HPS accepts a continuous stream of products, determines the optimum size for the length and creates a finished package. It’s an ideal solution for packaging clothing, soft goods, shoes and boxed items. It is also modular in design, which enables us to add different features depending on customers’ needs, such as rate shopping, weight verification and pre-weights.  

The HPS-300 can act as a standalone system and/or be integrated into a current production line. It integrates with transport management (TMS) and warehouse management (WMS) software, and can be easily combined with weighing, print and apply and sorting systems. 

More Packages, Less Labor

The HPS-300 helps our customers to boost productivity with less labor. With capabilities of up to 18 packages per minute, the HPS-300 enables distribution centers to increase throughput versus manual packaging processes.  

Quality-built for long runs, the HPS-300 uses cost-effective material, reduces labor costs (and need), and packages about four to five times faster than manual hand packing.  

Stay Connected with an Industry Leader

Tension Packaging & Automation is a leader in complete packaging and automation solutions for the eCommerce and pharmacy automation industries. Tension designs and builds equipment and systems, in addition to providing the consumables, software, and service and support that help pharmacies and eCommerce fulfillment centers optimize productivity. 

Visit Us 

Visit our blog. We’re committed to providing updates, trends and more on topics like:  

  • Best practices in packaging and automation 
  • Pharmacy automation systems know-how 
  • eCommerce packaging equipment know-how 
  • Industry insights and trends 
  • Highlights and recaps of industry events 
  • Product spotlights 

Prefer a more automated approach? We do, too: Sign up here to receive monthly updates straight to your inbox through our eNewsletter. 

Contact Tension

Tension Packaging & Automation is a leader in complete packaging and automation solutions for the eCommerce and pharmacy automation industries. Contact us to get started.