By Gina Shaw
In the face of unprecedented growth, particularly in the ambulatory sector, hospital pharmacies are increasingly adopting technology and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to manage these changes effectively. This sentiment was echoed during a recent webinar hosted by Bluesight, where pharmacy leaders discussed operational improvements for enterprise health systems.
Ochsner Health, one of the prominent not-for-profit healthcare providers in the Gulf South, operates 46 hospitals and over 370 health and urgent care centers. Chief Pharmacy Officer, Debbie Simonson, PharmD, noted, ‘We are 100% standardized with automated dispensing, electronic medical records, and automated order sets.’ This demonstrates their commitment to utilizing technology for better efficiency.
Alternatively, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Health, a smaller system with 16 hospitals, has also seen significant expansion. According to Chief Pharmacy Officer Marva Williams-Lowe, PharmD, ‘Pharmacy services across our enterprise have been critical to our evolution.’ She highlighted the growth in ambulatory and specialty programs, emphasizing a focus on population health.
Dr. Simonson explained that Ochsner’s pharmacy growth is largely in the ambulatory space, stating, ‘Acute care in our 46 hospitals represents only 12% of my pharmacy spend today.’ They have observed a staggering compounded average revenue growth rate of 30% over five years in retail, specialty, and home infusion care.
To address workforce challenges, Ochsner is exploring the use of large language models to improve prior authorization workflows, aiming to grow without relying solely on labor. As Dr. Simonson said, ‘You can’t grow if you can’t find the people.’
MUSC Health is proactive in confronting workforce hurdles by developing a dedicated apprenticeship program for pharmacy technicians. Dr. Williams-Lowe elaborated, ‘We’ve created training programs and paths to assist with national certifications, maximizing career ladders.’
Both institutions are focusing on AI solutions to enhance operational efficiencies. Dr. Simonson is looking into AI chatbot solutions for managing inbound pharmacy calls and enhancing patient assistance programs. ‘I’d like to identify a program that can be standardized across various functions,’ she stated.
Moreover, an existing AI solution for prior authorization management at Ochsner has significantly cut approval times to just minutes, prompting efforts to expand this capability across all areas of pharmacy service.
MUSC is similarly employing AI for prior authorization in its infusion services, reflecting a shared goal to enhance efficiency amidst critical workforce challenges. Dr. Williams-Lowe noted, ‘With workforce shortages, we aim to improve efficiencies on manual tasks to ensure that our valuable resources are dedicated to clinical activities and improving patient outcomes.’
The speakers reported no relevant financial disclosures.
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