Visit the office of FP James Judd in Hatboro, PA, and right behind the receptionist you’ll see what resembles a blue soda machine. But don’t get your hopes up for a can of cola. What comes out of this hulking box are bottles of generic medications to treat hypertension, diabetes, infections, and other common disorders. Instead of pushing quarters down a slot, patients pay for the meds at the front desk. Judd is co-founder and medical director of QuiqMeds, a 2-year-old company that outfits doctors with these computerized vending machines. The company’s premise is that by selling generic drugs, doctors not only spare patients a trip to the pharmacy, but improve medication compliance. After all, 10 percent of new prescriptions are never filled, according to a patient-education group called Consumer Health Information. For a 100-day supply of maintenance medications, patients pay Judd’s six-doctor practice between $15 and $22, roughly as much as a copay for some insured patients. The modest price benefits uninsured patients who would otherwise pay more at the pharmacy. The arrangement also puts money in the doctor’s pocket—about $5 per prescription. QuiqMeds illustrates the movement in healthcare to steer patients, when appropriate, from costly brand-name drugs to generic equivalents that save money for not only patients, but insurers and the employers that contract with them. Other companies have offered doctors the ability to sell both generic and brand-name drugs for years, but traditionally have lacked an automated dispensing unit.
Excerpt from an article published in Medical Economics.
For more information on defending medical malpractice, nursing home and general liability matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at Citron & Associates, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.
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