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Suhas Thaleshvar had goals to effectively and safely deliver valuable clinical services to his patients. With the pandemic and upcoming flu season, finding the right software to do this became of the utmost priority. When the opportunity arose to implement a software option to deliver appointment-based services, he jumped on it. MedMe’s platform became his go-to, time-saving tool for the clinical services offered at his pharmacy.
For years, Suhas watched his patients complete their immunization forms with pen and paper. Eventually, this was replaced by online forms on mobile devices, but the system still lacked a scheduling component. With the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for flu shots increased by over 30%. Suhas knew that he needed to switch to an appointment-based model in order to handle the high volume of incoming patients and to better staff his employees.
Suhas was eager to try out MedMe, a platform that would allow his patients to book appointments, fill out the required forms, and answer the COVID-19 screening questions online, prior to entering the store. He and his staff actually found that MedMe went far beyond this, integrating with his pharmacy management software and providing them with automated documentation tools.
“It was just a revolving door… every patient, every family coming in spaced out. I can’t believe how fast we are now with MedMe. We can have a carload of patients in and out of the store in 5 minutes when it used to take 30 minutes.”
Able to see how many flu shots were booked at his store each week, Suhas knew exactly how many flu shots to order and how to staff his employees. With this additional level of clarity, Suhas and his staff were able to efficiently schedule other clinical services to provide patients with a level of care that extended beyond dispensing.
“MedMe is like a crystal ball. It helped me see what I had that day and week, and plan accordingly.”
With MedMe’s built-in, secure video call system, Suhas was also able to provide his patients with continued access to care during the pandemic. Suhas talks about how, even when the rest of the world was put on pause, he never had to dial back his pharmacy services because he had a tool for virtual care. At his pharmacy, patient care was never put on pause.
As pharmacy transforms to embrace technology that improves pharmacists’ ability to deliver clinical services, Suhas is seeking to expand on those that his store can offer. He believes that MedMe is a crucial component for pharmacists’ delivery of patient care as front-line workers, and one which will differentiate pharmacies after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
“It is mandatory now, it’s not a luxury item anymore. It is a minimal requirement during a pandemic, and it will put you a mile above everyone that didn’t have it when the pandemic is over.”
Owned by Suhas Thaleshvar, Medicine Shoppe 365 is a pharmacy located in Sherwood Park, Alberta. In addition to flu shots and asymptomatic COVID-19 testing, they offer many additional services including travel medicine, weight management, and diabetes support.
Written by: Linda Liu
Edited by: Gabrielle Busque & Rui Su
Illustrations by: Gabrielle Busque
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