Q&A: Automation, Resilience Reshaping Independent Pharmacy Operations

From the COVID-19 pandemic to monumental pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform earlier this year, the independent pharmacy profession has withstood each and every challenge thrown its way. Now, with new innovations like artificial intelligence (AI) emerging, the industry plans to further evolve, while still looking to the federal government to assist in recorrecting an imperfect health care system.

“I can’t think of many industries that could adapt to the headwinds that we as pharmacy owners face. There’s something to be said about that,” Tom DePietro, PharmD, owner of DePietro’s Pharmacy in Pennsylvania, told Drug Topics®. “Continue to reimburse me poorly, but I will overcome it, and I’ll beat you. That’s where I think you have to have the stamina.”

In part 2 of our interview discussion, DePietro explores the future of independent pharmacy practice amid unprecedented pressures and phenomena occurring in what seems like real-time. He also explored another future innovation in AI, providing his business’ approach to taking advantage of the powerful technology.

READ MORE: The Impact of Closures, PBM Reform on Community Pharmacy

Drug Topics: There’s a lot of buzz around AI in pharmacy and health care right now. What are you actually seeing being adopted in the real world, and what’s hype versus genuine help in the AI space?

Tom DePietro: There are so many vendors that approach us on a daily basis as a pharmacy owner. Not only are we dealing with our day-to-day operations, dealing with our customers, meeting with employees, but then you have a ton of vendors reaching out. AI is certainly a big buzz for us. I did a couple demos, and I just thought to myself that there’s got to be a way to implement AI in a quick manner. We deployed 3 bots that are completing data entry for us, and they work 24/7. The efficiencies that we have picked up internally to essentially gain 3 data entry technicians that are working for me 24/7 has really sped up our operations.

I’ll share that we purchased [around] 42 feet of will-call bin area that I thought we would grow into. But because we’re processing and filling prescriptions so efficiently with the bots, we filled that 42 feet within a week. We’re really like hot-wiring the operations, because if you look at a pharmacy, every single pharmacy, regardless of the size, has to block and tackle. They need to type prescriptions, whether you’re filling 100 prescriptions a day, 500, or 1000. Then, the other thing that I say to stores or owners, is it’s usually your most talented technician that’s doing the data entry. Unfortunately, I talked to so many pharmacy owners that are completing data entry at home on the weekends, before they head to the store to get the queue cleaned up.

You can understand why some owners may not be quick to adapt AI, and there is a lot of noise in this space. But from an ROI perspective, I don’t care if you’re filling 100 prescriptions a day or 1000, I know you need to type prescriptions and I know you’re using someone that’s valuable doing it. There’s an opportunity there to stop. I’m hearing [additional] noise—[but] not noise—because I’ve spoken to stores that are doing it. It’s how quick could you implement it into your workflow, while addressing all of those other things.

I did some calls with some voice agents who would help triage phone calls. You hear the high-level idea, the shiny object, but what I would encourage every pharmacy to do [is] data entry. It’s a no-brainer, it’s easy to adapt, it’s easy to implement, and I know you’re typing prescriptions, because if you’re not typing prescriptions, you’re out of business.

Drug Topics: In the middle of all the current disruption in pharmacy—closures, reform, burnout, new tech, etc—is there an argument that independent pharmacy is actually better positioned than it was a few years ago, or is the pressure just compounding?

Tom DePietro: I just turned 42. I opened my pharmacy 14 years ago. I’ve often felt defeated. But with all of this noise and with all of this momentum, there’s one thing that has to be said is that independent pharmacy overcomes challenges: full stop. You throw a global pandemic at us. What did we do? We rolled up our sleeves, we deployed into our communities, we vaccinated thousands upon thousands of people. We came back to our stores and we said, ‘Now, what could we do?’

I can’t think of many industries that could adapt to the headwinds that we as pharmacy owners face. There’s something to be said about that. Continue to reimburse me poorly, but I will overcome it, and I’ll beat you. That’s where I think you have to have the stamina. If you’re older, I could understand why it’s easy to not have that stamina, but I think as an industry and as a whole, there’s not many professions that could take the punches on the chin like independent pharmacies do. We get right back up, smile, and serve our customers to the point they love us. There’s something to be said about that.

But it’s time for our legislators to understand the importance of us in the community. If we’re not here, I keep telling our state, you’re going to be paying me in 10 years to open a pharmacy by giving me grant money. We’re not looking for more money to be shifted to us. We’re just looking for a bigger cut of the pie that’s being stolen. I’m confident that there’s better days ahead of independent pharmacists. It’s just, could your operation outlast the storm?

READ MORE: Navigating Pharmacy’s AI Transformation and the Future of Patient Care