Lawrence Margolls, Founder/CEO, PersonalRX
The great English poet Alexander Pope once quoted “To err is human, to forgive divine.” But, when it comes to dispensing and taking medications, sometimes, a minor error may lead to serious consequences. In fact, according to the latest estimates, each year, 7,000 to 9,000 people die as a result of medication errors in the United States, costing more than $40 billion annually in additional health care costs. Medication dispensing errors and medication non-adherence incur a high cost in modern medical practice in terms of both human suffering and additional healthcare costs. This is one of the major reasons for patient dissatisfaction and a growing lack of trust in the US healthcare system.
When Lawrence Margolis, a former Wall Street Broker and investor specializing in healthcare and technology had one such unfortunate family experience with a medication error, he sensed a critical need for error-free medication dispensing and administration. This desire led him to form GroupRX to help organizations more efficiently manage and dispense medications for their members. The company began as a service primarily for “groups” who required extra attention including children’s summer camps and boarding schools. In 2018, it was rebranded as PersonalRX and the company shifted focus from ‘seasonal ‘to‘ year-round patients’, specifically, those who required extra care and a VIP service – those that take five or more medications.
Delivering a Comprehensive, Personalized Pharmacy Services to Patients
Today, PersonalRX is a reliable and well-respected home delivery pharmacy that focuses on improving patient outcomes by placing the patient at the ‘center of care’. Unlike other pharmacies that just deliver individual medications, it provides a complete service, including custom adherence packaging, proactive customer service that includes actively managing a patient’s medications, and a personalized experience that further protects the patient while improving care outcomes.
“We are a home delivery pharmacy providing VIP services and packaging to improve patient compliance — with no added costs. Our pharmacists are available 24/7, and each patient has the direct phone number of their dedicated pharmacy technician, who calls them during the month to review their medications and manage any changes” asserts Lawrence.
The process starts by collecting basic information including, the list of medications, the prescribing doctors, and the patient’s insurance. Once all this information is collected, the PersonalRX clinical team provides a medication reconciliation service at no additional cost. This service includes a pharmacist review of all the patient’s medications along with system any messages and warnings. The pharmacist consults with doctors as needed to resolve any issues such as the presence of potentially dangerous drug/drug interactions, duplicate therapies, and concerns about overmedication.
“PersonalRX is an additional line of defense. Once we obtain prescriptions from the patient’s doctors, we pack their 30-day supply of medications into individual dose packs that are labeled with the patient’s name, drug, and the time of day that the patient should take their medication. This packaging is done by machine to further improve quality. Every dose pack is also checked by a licensed pharmacist. Our service reflects the best of humans and technology working together to improve patient healthcare,” adds Lawrence.
Finally, the pre-packaged, clearly labeled medications are delivered right to the doorstep of the patient and the Quality Assurance team calls the patient to ensure the package was delivered successfully.
Combining Technology with Employee Ingenuity for Improved Outcome
PersonalRX believes that patients, and those who care for them, deserve every tool for managing their medications. PersonalRX therefore offers technology-enabled platforms to help its patients more efficiently and easily manage their medications. To achieve these objectives, it has developed the RX2 Mobile app, a progressive web application (PWA) that puts the pharmacy at the fingertips of the patient and their caregivers. It has also created RX2 Admin, a proprietary Patient Relationship Management Tool (PRM) that drives end-to-end workflow for the pharmacy — from day-to-day communication and medication regimen management to packing, shipping, and billing. “These tools make it simple for us to provide the best service possible. Our workflows are automated and dispensing also uses automation to ensure an error free process,” elaborates Lawrence.
According to Lawrence, more than technology, a strong team with a commitment to provide the highest quality service is what paves the way the organization to grow and succeed. The company focuses on hiring the right people who recognize the need to offer personalized care to each patient. “Our pharmacists, technicians, support staff, and management team work together as advocates for patient wellness and improved outcomes and the need to care for each patient individually,” states Lawrence.
The dedicated team at PersonalRX brings in more than100+ years of combined experience in the pharmacy industry and managing growing businesses. This deep-rooted knowledge, combined with best-in-class service, competitive cost, and a unique patient-centered pharmacy care model makes PersonalRX a passionate and powerful ally to patients, caregivers, and other health professionals.
Sparking the Next Generation of Retail Pharmacy
Merging technology and human compassion, the patient-centric firm continues to lead the pharmacy industry in providing the highest level of patient care. Going forward, PersonalRX aims to add more clients while fueling its growth by incorporating new technological developments in its many offerings.
“We are raising additional capital so that we can bring our high-touch personal service to more of the 41+ million Americans who take five or more medications. We want to continue to reach as many patients in this group as possible so that we can provide a significantly better experience,” concludes Lawrence.