how do pharmacies work? Do they just have every kind of medication at all time? How is a prescription ready within an hour?
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Pharmacist here who used to work in a community pharmacy in south Fl. For most community / retail pharmacies, they manage an inventory on hand of medications that they expect to use. There are what most people call “fast movers” or “common stock” that are commonly dispensed, and then sections for other oral medications, liquids, ointments, creams, and even some injections. A lot of times if it’s less common, the drug has to be ordered from a supplier. Most pharmacies have contracts with one and they can submit an order online. Usually comes the next day or the day after.
When a prescription is electronically sent over or a patient brings a hard copy, we have to enter or process it in. We make sure it’s appropriate for the dose, directions, quantity, etc. Then we verify it, double checking for any drug interactions (for most there are not any major or severe drug interactions). Once it’s filled we verify it one more time and it’s ready to be sold. Some prescriptions can be filled within an hour depending on how easy of a fill it is, others are more complicated and require calling a doctor to verify, adjusting a dose, etc.
Sometimes drugs are on shortage from the supplier and we simply can’t get them even if we try to order them everyday. It’s different everywhere in the country and hard to predict.
Pharmacist here who used to work in a community pharmacy in south Fl. For most community / retail pharmacies, they manage an inventory on hand of medications that they expect to use. There are what most people call “fast movers” or “common stock” that are commonly dispensed, and then sections for other oral medications, liquids, ointments, creams, and even some injections. A lot of times if it’s less common, the drug has to be ordered from a supplier. Most pharmacies have contracts with one and they can submit an order online. Usually comes the next day or the day after.
When a prescription is electronically sent over or a patient brings a hard copy, we have to enter or process it in. We make sure it’s appropriate for the dose, directions, quantity, etc. Then we verify it, double checking for any drug interactions (for most there are not any major or severe drug interactions). Once it’s filled we verify it one more time and it’s ready to be sold. Some prescriptions can be filled within an hour depending on how easy of a fill it is, others are more complicated and require calling a doctor to verify, adjusting a dose, etc.
Sometimes drugs are on shortage from the supplier and we simply can’t get them even if we try to order them everyday. It’s different everywhere in the country and hard to predict.
Yea, they keep many prescriptions on hand at all times. They know what are most common in general, what are most common in their area (based on demographics), and what long term meds their regular customers take for chronic conditions to make sure they have them. Even 1000 pills is like the size of a soda can, so not that hard to keep 1000’s of containers of different meds on hand.
But there are still times when they don’t carry all meds. My wife take a less common, expensive prescription and sometimes Walgreen’s needs to order it and it takes a day or two for prescription to be ready.
Yea, they keep many prescriptions on hand at all times. They know what are most common in general, what are most common in their area (based on demographics), and what long term meds their regular customers take for chronic conditions to make sure they have them. Even 1000 pills is like the size of a soda can, so not that hard to keep 1000’s of containers of different meds on hand.
But there are still times when they don’t carry all meds. My wife take a less common, expensive prescription and sometimes Walgreen’s needs to order it and it takes a day or two for prescription to be ready.
Yea, they keep many prescriptions on hand at all times. They know what are most common in general, what are most common in their area (based on demographics), and what long term meds their regular customers take for chronic conditions to make sure they have them. Even 1000 pills is like the size of a soda can, so not that hard to keep 1000’s of containers of different meds on hand.
But there are still times when they don’t carry all meds. My wife take a less common, expensive prescription and sometimes Walgreen’s needs to order it and it takes a day or two for prescription to be ready.
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Doctor e-prescribes drug, pharmacy receives prescription, pharmacy tech completes order entry to select drug product dispensed/type directions/bill insurance or cash pay for prescription, pharmacist verifies prescription order entry from tech and reviews patient clinicals in pharmacy software +- EMR for appropriateness, technician completes fulfillment of prescription, pharmacist does final check to ensure correct drug product/quantity packaged.
Pharmacies stock 80% of what is typically dispensed on hand based on appropriate rotating inventory practices. Other items need to be ordered in from drug wholesalers, which deliver daily.
Pharmacies work on a queue to process prescriptions based on FIFO and automatic refills. If patients call, they typically bump these prescriptions ahead in the queue to get them ready.
My pharmacy often has to order meds for me that they don’t always have in stock. Usually takes a day or so.
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