FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN PHYSICIAN DISPENSING
Last Updated: December 1, 2020 | Created: April 5, 2019
These are the most frequently asked questions in physician dispensing. If your specific question isn’t answered below, you can contact our expert in office dispensing team using the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Getting Started
- I’m a physician and I want to dispense at my practice. How do I get started?
- How much does it cost to get started?
- What do I need to get started?
- Do I need to provide any equipment to get started?
- What are the startup fees to implement a dispensing program?
- I’d like to request a demo
- How long does it take to get started?
- Will you help me customize a formulary based on what other clinics of my same specialty are doing?
- What if we have more than one Provider in one office?
- I’m starting a new practice and want to dispense; when should I contact you?
Legal & Regulatory
- Can a doctor officially dispense prescription medication from their own clinic?
- In what states is Physician Dispensing Legal?
- What licenses do we have to have to dispense medication in-house?
- What storage guidelines do I have to follow for medications?
- Does the doctor have to physically hand over the medication as part of the in-office dispensing process or can staff assist in the dispensing process?
- Are Nurse Practitioners and Physicians’ Assistants allowed to dispense medication?
- Does your software automatically report to state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)?
Operations
- Will our staff have to count out pills for each patient or label bottles?
- Does having the dispensing system open our clinic up for more inspections more frequently? What kind of inspections will my clinic be subject to?
- Does dispensing require additional staff?
- How much time does it take our staff to become proficient with the medication dispensing system?
- How much time does it take for a medication to be dispensed?
- Do you supply the label paper for RX label?
- Can I bill a patient’s medical insurance or workers’ compensation insurance through BRP?
- Will this dispensing program have an operational impact on physicians or staff?
- Is there a minimum order I must meet to order medications?
- Which medications do you carry?
- What do we do with expired medication? Does BRP act as a reverse distributor?
- Does software provide reporting? Can I customize reporting?
- How secure is the software?
Business & Financial
- What are the benefits of dispensing?
- Why don’t more doctors dispense?
- Is there a long-term contract I have to sign? Is there any benefit to signing a contract?
- How much income could my office potentially make with this program?
- What if my patients have medical drug insurance? / Can I bill my patients’ insurance through you?
- Will I have a dedicated account manager with BRP?
- What is your refund policy?
Other
GETTING STARTED
I’m a doctor or administrator at a medical clinic and I would like my clinic to dispense medication. How do I get started?
It’s very easy to get started with BRP. Contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882. Once we receive your information, you can be up and running dispensing medication in as little as one business day.
How much does it cost to get started?
Normally, nothing! We provide the dispensing software and training for free – and in any case, you don’t need to use the software and are welcome to phone or email your orders. Even the medications you order are only invoiced on a net 30-day basis.
Do I need to provide any equipment to get started?
Most clinics don’t need any equipment to get started and use their office printer to print labels for the bottles of medication that you dispense. Some clinics purchase a dedicated label printer, which generally costs under $60.
I’d like to request a demo
Great! Please contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882.
How long does it takes to get started?
Once we receive a completed application packet, we can have your account set up in as little as one business day. At the most, it should take two or three business days.
Will you help me customize a formulary based on what other clinics of my same specialty are doing?
Absolutely! We can provide you with a template as a guideline as well as help you customize it to your needs.
Can we still dispense medication in-office if we have more than one provider at our facility?
Yes. BRP’s medication dispensing program has the flexibility to account for multiple providers per office as well as multiple sites, with each provider being assigned their own password and reporting.
I’m starting a new practice and want to dispense; when should I contact you?
We recommend starting the process for a new clinic as soon as possible so that you can address any state licensing requirements that may apply to you. Our compliance team can provide you with expert advice and insight for your specific situation; please contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882.
LEGAL & REGULATORY
Is physician dispensing legal?
Yes! In the US, physician dispensing is legal in most states provided that state-specific regulations are met. There are a very small number of states where in-office dispensing is heavily regulated or illegal. These regulations are constantly changing and we advise doctors and administrators to contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882 to discuss your specific situation.
In what states is Physician Dispensing legal?
Physician dispensing is legal in most states in the US, though in some states it is extremely highly regulated. As of early 2019, the only states in which physician dispensing is completely illegal are Utah and Texas. We recommend that you contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882 so that our expert compliance experts can help with your specific situation.
What licenses do we have to have to dispense medication in-house?
Every state in the US has different requirements. Don’t worry – BRP has an expert compliance team that stays on top of each state’s regulations and knows exactly how they work. Please contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882.
Does BRP Pharmaceutical have a compliance department I can talk to about what steps to take to obtain appropriate licenses?
Yes, absolutely. Please contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882.
Does your software automatically report to state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)?
Yes it does. BRP’s software (provided to you for free) automatically files all necessary PDMP reports for all states in which you dispense medications. It also files “zero-fill” reports as appropriate and when required by the state. For more information please contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877)885-0882.
Are Nurse Practitioners and Physicians’ Assistants allowed to dispense medication?
This is known as “mid-level dispensing” and it is permitted in many states but the specific regulations vary widely by state and are often changing. We advise you to contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877)885-0882 for a free, confidential and no-obligation consultation with an expert.
OPERATIONS
Will our staff have to count out pills for each patient or label bottles?
No – that’s (part of) our job! We will set you up with your most commonly ordered package sizes and strengths, so that you have the right medication and dosage for your patients.
Does having the dispensing system open our clinic up for more inspections more frequently? What kind of inspections will my clinic be subject to?
Your state pharmacy board and the FDA have the right to inspect your facility. In practice, these inspections are rare. In any case, BRP Pharmaceuticals spares no expense to ensure that all requirements for packaging and labeling are met, so as long as you are storing medications appropriately, this should not be a concern.
Does dispensing require additional staff?
Absolutely not. With BRP’s turnkey physician dispensing solution, dispensing a prescription should take no more than two minutes, and not require any additional staff (or equipment).
How much time does it take our staff to become proficient with the medication dispensing system?
BRP’s best-in-class physician dispensing software is easy to learn and master. After a 45-minute training session (provided by a BRP expert, and completely complimentary), your staff should be extremely proficient with the software. Of course, if you have any questions, we’re just a phone call, email, or live chat away.
How much time does it take for a medication to be dispensed?
With BRP’s prescription medication dispensing system, each prescription should take no more than two minutes, often less.
Can I bill a patient’s medical insurance or workers’ compensation insurance through BRP?
Yes of course! BRP has an extremely strong workers’ compensation billing program and private insurance reimbursement program that is quite popular with many clinics that dispense medication. Please contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882 for more information.
Will this dispensing program have operational impact on physicians or staff?
No. You don’t need to restructure your operations, hire staff, or buy equipment. Dispensing a prescription usually takes less than two minutes. You will be able to dispense medication without making any significant changes to how your practice operates.
Is there a minimum order I must meet to order medications?
No, there is no minimum order size.
Which medications do you carry?
BRP carries a full catalogue of over 4,000 medications in pre-packaged, sealed, counted, and ready-to-dispense packages. Please consult our industry-leading formulary for the most commonly-dispensed medications. If you don’t see a specific item on that list, please contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882 as we probably still provide it.
What do we do with expired medication? Does BRP act as a reverse distributor?
Yes, absolutely. BRP will help you avoid getting into situations where you have expired medication, but if this does happen to occur anyway, BRP will act as a reverse distributor. There is no charge to ship medications back to BRP.
Does your software provide reporting? Can I customize the reporting?
Yes. BRP’s best-in-class software provides both simple and detailed reporting depending on your needs and is easily customizable. We can even show you how!
How secure is the software?
It is crucially important that physician dispensing software be secure, and BRP takes that mandate extremely seriously. To the best of our knowledge, we have never had a single security breach. Our software is also 100% HIPAA compliant.
BUSINESS & FINANCIAL
What are the benefits of dispensing?
There are many powerful benefits of physician dispensing, including more revenue, improved patient outcomes, increased operational efficiency, greater patient convenience and satisfaction, and more. See the the benefits of physician dispensing for more information.
Why don’t more doctors dispense?
Physician dispensing isn’t new, but it’s only in the last several years that it’s been easy enough that virtually any practice can make money dispensing medication. In the past, dispensing at the point of care was a very manual process, requiring significant staff time to count pills, maintain records, and submit data to regulators in a timely manner.
Today BRP has solved those problems with its turnkey solution. It takes less than two minutes to dispense a prescription with BRP, and PDMP reporting and record-keeping is automatic with our free, easy-to-use software. With BRP, you won’t need to take on any additional staff or equipment or change how your practice operates.
Is there a long-term contract I have to sign? Is there any benefit to signing a contract?
No
How much income could my office potentially make with this program?
We’ve seen practices increase profit by up to 50% just by introducing in-office dispensing of medication – without taking on any additional staff, patients, or equipment.
What if my patients have medical drug insurance? / Can I bill my patients’ insurance through you?
BRP provides many medications at such low prices that your practice will often be able to provide them to patients at a lower price than what their co-pay would be at the pharmacy. As a result, even patients with insurance may end up being cash & carry patients at your practice. That said, you can also bill the patient’s medical insurance or workers’ compensation insurance through our software. Please contact us through our contact form or give us a call at (877) 885-0882 for more information.
Will I have a dedicated account manager with BRP?
Yes, absolutely. You will have a dedicated account representative assigned to your account, and will also be able to leverage a full-service customer support team based in our corporate offices in Burbank, CA.
What is your refund policy?
Our staff will review online payments for refund eligibility within 30-days of payment being made.
OTHER
My question isn’t listed here. How can I ask?
Please call us at (877) 885-0882 or submit a contact form below.
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