1) Is it legal for a Physician to dispense drugs from his/her office?

YES. Every Physician has the right to dispense medication to his or her own patients. Only four states restrict the practice to any great degree (New York, Montana, Texas and Massachusetts). Even in these states, dispensing is allowed but restricted.

2) Does point of care dispensing comply with state and federal drug dispensing regulations?

YES. The dispensing system used with DC Pharmacy complies with all DEA and FDA requirements.

3) If I dispense medications to my patients, am I violating the Stark Law of self referral?

NO. The Stark law pertains to physician self-referral for Medicare and Medicaid patients. There are exemptions to this status for in-office ancillary services which include physician dispensing of pharmaceuticals. The in-office ancillary services exception of Stark permits physician owners of a medical group, and other members of the group, to refer patients to their group for certain Designated Health Services.  To qualify for this Stark exemption, the Designated Health Service must be furnished personally by the referring physician, another physician in the same group practice, or by individuals who are “directly supervised” by the referring physician or group practice member.

4) Does the physician need a special license to dispense medications in the office?

Most states do not require anything beyond your existing DEA and State License in order to dispense medications. There are a few states that have a designated dispensing license for a nominal fee.

5) Is this a new business model for Physicians? 

NO. Point of care medication dispensing has been around since physicians began practicing medicine. In 1985, Congressional legislation was passed in 46 states to secure the physicians rights to dispense FDA approved medications to their own patients. Physicians need to find new ways to generate revenue to offset decreased reimbursement and increased cost of practice. Dispensing medications in the office has gained increased popularity (beginning in the 1990s)

6) What if I have multiple physicians in my practice? Can they dispense as well?

YES. Each physician is assigned a specific password and can track their dispensing history separately. You can also have security access assigned at different levels to approved staff members who will be assisting in the dispensing process. (The Pharmacy is owned by the practice using a common DEA #)

7) What is the price difference for medications filled at the Physician office and another Pharmacy?

If a patient has insurance, then the price would be the same for the patient at any Pharmacy. However, if the patient is paying privately, then the cost can be less expensive or more expensive depending on the specific drug. Doctors Choice will assist you in creating a pricing strategy which is competitive to your market. (pricing is set by PBM who has negotiated a discount to average wholesale price with payer source)

8) How do you pick which drugs to stock in the Pharmacy?

By creating a Rx profile per patient, we stock those drugs taken chronically. By creating electronic interface between appointments and profile, inventory is largely maintained on a “just in time” basis.

9) Who provides all the equipment? Will I need more staff?

Doctors Choice provides all the equipment and provides the necessary staff to run your pharmacy.

10) How much will this cost me to setup?

Doctors Choice provides the entire management of your pharmacy all for a single fixed monthly management fee. There is no up-front cost to your practice.