Pharmaceutical wholesaler Alliance Healthcare has launched OptiTote, a new semi-automated repeat dispensing solution aimed at enhancing efficiency and accuracy in pharmacy operations.
It enables pharmacists to partially automate repeat prescription dispensing, freeing up their time to focus on patient care and business growth.
The system eliminates the need for manual unpacking and shelf picking, allowing pharmacy teams to collate patient orders more accuratelyusing advanced barcode scanning technology.
Furthermore, its ‘just-in-time’ stock fulfilment feature enables pharmacies to maintain lower inventory levels, reducing the capital tied up in stock.
Managed entirely by in-house dispensing teams, this patient-specific tote system is integrated with wholesaler’s ordering systems.
"Unlike traditional repeat prescription management, OptiTote enables pharmacies to maintain full control over prescriptions while accelerating the dispensing process," Alliance Healthcare noted.
Orders are placed via the OptiTote software, where patient data is encrypted for security before being transmitted to Alliance Healthcare’s service centre for assembly.
The completed OptiTote is then delivered alongside the pharmacy’s standard Alliance Healthcare order the following morning.
Alliance Healthcare sales director Paula Sutherland highlighted the importance of innovation in pharmacy operations: "Now more than ever, pharmacies need innovative solutions to simplify processes and enable them to focus more on patient care.”
“As pharmacies adapt to evolving healthcare demands, OptiTote provides a practical solution that simplifies and speeds up repeat prescription dispensing, giving pharmacists more time to spend training their teams, supporting patients or running their business.”
Jackie Lewis, pharmacist director at Lewis Pharmacy in Exmouth, shared the benefits of using this system: “As a business owner and superintendent, I have more time to devote to the governance of the pharmacy and to developing private services and developing my skills as an IP Pathfinder which can be up to six half-day sessions per week.”
“Through Optitote we have more available staff time which enables us to run technician service clinics three mornings a week.”
Alliance Healthcare is offering the standard OptiTote system at no cost, integrating it directly into existing PMR workstations.
