It’s comparable to not participating in your company’s 401k to get the match. It is simply money left on the table. That’s how you need to look at point-of-service drug dispensing. It’s easy, with low investment, and your competitors just might be jumping on the bandwagon faster than you are. The old is new again A short history lesson is in order here: this is nothing new. Physician drug dispensing was the norm in days gone by, but somewhere along the way doctors gave up this income stream and cheerfully handed it to pharmacists. The time has come for you…

Fraud and staff theft are on the rise. Why is this happening? One reason is a spiraling economy. Another is lack of physician oversight. As the operation of medical practices gets more complex administratively, physicians are having a hard time staying on top of it. It may not be just lack of time…many physicians lack the expertise to manage their practices. On top of that, in many cases, doctors are unwilling to pay for the talent that is required to manage a medical practice. Just as medicine has become more specialized, so has administrating a medical practice. There are so…

Changing patient attitudes and physician self-esteem may be on a collision course. I was reading an old study from 1988 that found that the patients who are most troubling to doctors are those who pose a threat to the physician’s sense of professional integrity. Patients who are disrespectful, critical or demeaning are far more irritating than those who disregard the doctor’s instructions or who cannot pay their bills, the study found. They also found that patients who provoke an emotional reaction in their physicians may unwittingly interfere with the physicians diagnostic accuracy and treatment decisions. They write. “If a doctor’s…

With a suffering economy and massive layoffs, embezzlement is on the rise and doctors are a major target. Why are doctors so vulnerable and what can be done to lessen their risk? First, doctors are busy and they don’t have time to closely watch the administration of the office. Secondly, for some reason, doctors tend to give under-qualified staff too much responsibility. They either underestimate the complexity of running a healthcare practice or they just don’t want to pay for the level of expertise it requires. Because of this, the necessary systems to professionally manage an office and reduce the…