Pharmacists are professionals operating at the first level of care in collaboration with other healthcare professionals. Their role in the community allows them to provision a broader range of healthcare services, complementing the dispensing of medicines with new services related to medicines and public health.
Pharmacy-based clinics offer patients greater access to healthcare at a reduced cost, while providing an environment for timely communication in which disease management and patient education can take place. These value-added services have customers returning to the pharmacy to seek advice and monitor progress, whilst also providing cross-selling opportunities.
Clinic software deployed on mobile devices will meet the needs of both caregivers and receivers. Designed to positively address practitioner and patient needs, and giving fingertip access to information and accompanied by graphical representation, mobile software aids diagnosis and treatment discussions with patients. Clinic software will enhance workflow, and the capturing and retrieval of accurate health care documentation, while ensuring that industry standards and privacy laws are adhered to.
Technology can play a key role in helping pharmacies capitalise on the opportunities presented by primary healthcare: through a patient-centric model, comprehensive information sharing between pharmacists and nurse practitioners can take place. This collaboration and co-operation among professionals will offer enhanced monitoring, effectiveness and safety, ultimately leading to savings in the provision of healthcare services.
UCS Technology Services plans to address these key areas with the launch of Helix Clinic in 2017 by:
* Providing a solution that will operate for both the private - and the public sector: pharmacy clinics have the potential to play a significant role in the support of the future national health insurance system through the broadening of the management of services of primary healthcare.
* Managing costs in delivery of clinic services: by providing a central database across many locations, it will be possible that shared patient information, data and test results will limit patients having to repeat information to multiple clinicians, and/or undergo repeated or unnecessary tests.
* Providing cost effective healthcare: with a clinical solution to track and provide data, the possibility exists for broader, performance-based provider agreements to be put in place with medical aids.
* Providing the technological leap: mobile apps and cloud technology provide the industry with the leap required to easily and effectively roll the clinic out across South Africa.
* Expanding and leveraging off the existing pharmacy infrastructure in South Africa: Clinic can evolve into the pharmacy role and provide additional outlets where health services can be offered. The Helix Clinic app has been developed around the nurse practitioner, and will integrate to the dispensary providing a 360 degree view of the patient that is easy to manage and track.
* Recognising that Clinics have become a strategic business unit within private pharmacies, and have the ability to expand business for these entities.
Helix Clinic will be the way to provide more care to more people more conveniently - all part of the UCS TS good health journey.
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