How to Assess and Meet Your Technology Needs is a 60-minute presentation that provides community pharmacists with the knowledge needed to analyze their pharmacies' technology needs and select viable solutions that fit. Attendees of this session will leave empowered to make technology decisions to lead their pharmacies into the future of frontline healthcare.

Objectives:
Upon completing the seminar, participant's will be able to:
1. Recognize the workload factors that can lead to inefficiencies and dispensing errors,
2. Identify the areas of practice where technologies can be used to enhance productivity and reduce errors, 
3. Understand the effects of workplace design on obtaining full value from new technologies, and
4. Implement a plan of action to identify suitable technology suppliers and work towards a successful selection and implementation of technology in their pharmacies.

Format and Duration: The one hour seminar is a speaker / slide presentation followed by Q & A.

Outline: 
· Review some of the reasons for the slow adoption of technology in pharmacy.
· Review the effects population growth and the pharmacist shortage will have on pharmacists' workloads.
· Review medication errors as it relates to the pharmacy.
· The role of technology and dispensing automation in improving efficiencies and reducing errors including a brief overview of each step of the dispensing process.
· Review of how to set proper goals.
· How to decide which suppliers to "short-list" and how to analyze each firm for suitability.
· Approaches to analyzing pharmacies to ensure maximum benefit from the technologies while matching product to the clients' goals.
· Introduction to the Customized Pharmacy Solutions Study.
· The role of design in automating a pharmacy.
· Writing an RFP: The pros and cons.
· How to ensure a successful implementation and post-implementation.

Importance to Pharmacists: As prescription volume grows dramatically and the pharmacy manpower shortage continues to challenge retention rates, pharmacists are being required to fill more prescriptions in less time. Rising workloads raise concerns about potential prescription errors and increased pressure to keep key positions filled. One way to improve pharmacists' (and pharmacies') output, productivity, and efficiency while enhancing retention rates and reducing potential errors is the use of customized technology solutions. This session will explore how to analyze your pharmacies' technology needs and select viable solutions that fit. We will discuss how to deal effectively with your chosen supplier(s) to ensure a successful ordering and implementation process. Attendees of this session will leave empowered to make technology decisions to lead their pharmacies into the future of frontline healthcare.