Schedule360 Streamlines Pharmacy COVID-19 Testing Program

September 28, 2021

Retail pharmacies have risen to many challenges throughout this pandemic and they’re unique capabilities for healthcare delivery have been vital to the ongoing forward progress. However, the administration of the COVID-19 testing program has also presented significant logistical and operational challenges as they try to manage an increased need for patient care and the daily pharmacy workload. This is where technology becomes imperative as you still have normal daily demands to meet and it’s not going to get any easier as this is the new normal.

Two pharmacy workers standing behind a desk smiling.

We understand the tremendous pressure that pharmacists and their staff are under today, and we’re here to help. Schedule360’s easy implementation process is designed to quickly get you set up with a scheduling software solution that’s configured to your specific staff scheduling needs. Throughout the implementation process we do all the heavy lifting for you and provide you with a step-by-step guided plan designed to make the entire implementation process as quick and seamless as possible.

Schedule360 is currently used to schedule all CVS Minute Clinic (MC) providers, educators, and SPM Manager on-call duties. In response to COVID-19 and the Fall Flu Season quickly approaching, MC is anticipating community healthcare needs by preparing to provide additional clinic services including patient intake, COVID-19/Flu screenings, and COVID-19 in-clinic rapid testing.

These additional services are designed to determine the ideal and safest treatment path for patients within the clinics. These services fall under a new MC testing program.

The testing program will be supported by the rapid hiring of both nurses (primarily LVN/LPN and potentially RN) and NP/PA providers. Testing program staff will be hired and trained to specific testing program job roles. Testing program staff, as a rule, will not cross train to traditional MC clinic roles, but will remain dedicated to specific testing program responsibilities. Current roles or skills include, Swap and Send, and POCT, with other roles planned as the workflow is further defined.

Scheduling testing program staff will follow similar requirements as the current MC clinic staff. The addition of Schedule360’s Special Scheduling type will ensure only trained individuals are fulfilling these testing program shifts. Testing program staff can be cross trained to other roles and across license types as well.

Existing MC staff will not cross over to testing program roles as a general rule, but the possibility should be included if the MC providers meet both qualifications to the testing program and special scheduling types. Testing program scheduling functionality in Schedule360 will follow the same workflow (regular shift matching and edits, HOT, On-Call) and MC scheduling rules (6-week schedules, OT tracking and management, recurring Sets, Provider messaging, and portal views) with the addition of special scheduling types as described above.

New Testing Program Requirements /Development Summary

Schedule360 will use an existing backend capability to provide quick links between the region clinics and testing program clinics. These linkages will provide the scheduler, SPMs, and management the ability to view coverage within and between complementary clinics and across the region. Since not all clinics will deploy testing programs, Schedule360 will only provide linkages if schedules exist in a testing program clinic. A “dormant testing program clinic” will display in the front end under the testing program region, however, it will not display in new cross reporting areas.

Schedule360 will deploy existing mapping capabilities within the Delta screen. Here’s a summary of planned new cross displays:

  1. Weekly view of all region and district levels in sequential order, clinic followed by testing program clinic, and the ability to separate weekly view-all with all clinics in order, followed by testing program clinics below them.
  2. Home page display on clinics showing testing programs that are active and links to testing programs. Blank if the testing program clinic is dormant or inactive.
  3. Subset of special scheduling types on the profile screen with select-all for new testing program types.
  4. Delta will display a clinic or testing program with a complimentary clinic below. Links on Delta to jump over to corresponding clinic, i.e. ability to toggle back and forth to make changes.
  • Delta to include special scheduling types for testing program clinics that are specific to the person in the filled shift with ability to change to another special scheduling type if qualified.
  1. Provider/nurse portals for both clinic and testing program staff will include an “all locations” tab with a display of both clinic and complimentary testing program region, allowing staff to view either schedule.
  2. Link on the monthly schedule to complementary clinics to provide toggling back and forth between clinic and testing program clinic.
  3. Display of special scheduling type on monthly and view-all.

The Future of Pharmacies

With the onset of an ever-changing future for Pharmacists and the increase in options for community health in pharmacy clinics, you need a scheduling software that can not only handle what you’re scheduling now, but have the capabilities to evolve and adapt to future changes in scheduling staff to handle the increase in services provided.

Introducing this testing program scheduling feature within our robust web-based scheduling solution is making it easier for pharmacies to adapt to the changes, and we will continue to provide the necessary solutions and features to help you with the scheduling side of things. We know scheduling, and we know how new demands on pharmacies are changing the way you do things. Contact Schedule360 today for a customized demo of our software so you can see for yourself how invaluable our software can be when implemented into your facility.