Abacus Pharmacy Plus
By Abacus Rx, Inc
Abacus Pharmacy Plus typical implementation process:
Consultation & Needs Assessment: The implementation begins with understanding your pharmacy’s unique needs, workflows, and hardware compatibility to tailor the setup for your operational environment.
System Installation & Setup: Abacus Pharmacy Plus is installed on your systems (cloud or on-premise), connecting relevant hardware such as barcode scanners, POS, printers, and devices for inventory and delivery management. Initial configuration includes pharmacy details, user IDs, roles, and security settings.
Data Customization & Preparation: Your team enters or imports patient, prescriber, and inventory data. The system can preload with thousands of NDC and OTC entries for rapid startup. Custom forms, label templates, and workflow options are configured according to your preferences.
Training: Staff are trained on the main functions with easy-to-follow training materials and integrated video guides. Training covers daily prescription processing, new/refill workflows, inventory, label printing, claims, and troubleshooting. The intuitive interface allows quick onboarding, even for new staff.
Testing & Validation: Prescriptions and core processes are tested end-to-end (order entry, workflow management, billing, claims submission, etc.) to ensure smooth operation and to catch any setup issues before going live.
Go-Live: After successful testing, your pharmacy transitions to full operation, using the Abacus Pharmacy Plus system for all prescription and inventory management.
Abacus Pharmacy Plus offers extensive customization to fit diverse pharmacy business needs. Here are key data points on its configurability:
Configurable System Preferences: The software can be customized via a comprehensive “Configuration preference” screen, enabling pharmacies to tailor nearly all aspects—setup, workflows, notifications, forms, and operational settings—at any time to align with evolving requirements.
Specialty Modules for Multiple Pharmacy Types: Abacus Pharmacy Plus includes dedicated modules and configuration options for retail, long-term care, compounding, hospital, mail order, and specialty pharmacies. Each segment can activate or hide features as needed, ensuring only relevant workflows and reporting are displayed for a particular business type.
Custom Label and Document Templates: Pharmacies can design or select from multiple prescription label options (laser/thermal), print custom forms, and create batch processing or compounding templates specifically tailored to their operations.
Flexible Workflow Settings: Features such as cycle filling, batch processing, will call management, and order entry can be turned on/off or adjusted to suit the facility’s workflow, supporting adaptations for unique operating hours, multi-site operations, or custom prescription handling scenarios.
Pricing & Billing Rules: Businesses can define custom pricing structures according to drug category, insurance plan, or patient segment, supporting complex third-party billing, cash discounts, or group pricing.
Multi-Store and Facility Support: The platform is adaptable for single or multi-store chains, with centralized or decentralized user setups, custom reporting by location, and configuration for unique inventory and billing for each respective site.
Order and Inventory Management Customization: Pharmacies can configure inventory management preferences, automated reorder points, barcode options, and set custom thresholds for expiration alerts or low-stock warnings, aligning entirely with internal SOPs.
User Roles and Security: The system offers customizable user roles and permissions, allowing only approved actions per staff member, linked to the specific protocols and privacy concerns of each pharmacy.
Automated Notifications and Messaging: Customizable automated text/email messaging workflows for refills, pickup alerts, and customer engagement are available, with templates editable per business preference.
Integration Flexibility: Abacus Pharmacy Plus integrates with a wide variety of hardware (barcode scanners, POS, robotics, imaging, etc.) and external software systems for e-prescribing, insurance billing, or specialized reporting, with configurable vendor interfaces and custom integration mapping.
Custom Reporting & Analytics: Pharmacies can generate tailored reports by any parameter (inventory, billing, prescriber, facility, drug type, etc.), supporting data-driven decision-making for any business model.
On-the-Fly Prescription Customization: The platform allows rapid adjustments to prescriptions, refills, pricing, insurance plans, and patient profiles directly from the workflow, backing pharmacy-specific rules for exceptions or special programs.
Multi-Lingual Support & Communication Tools: Configurable multi-lingual prescription sigs and patient communications improve accessibility for diverse customer bases.
Abacus Pharmacy Plus offers training and robust support to ensure new users can confidently adopt and operate the system:
Multiple Training Formats: New pharmacies can access training through several convenient options, including on-site, remote (virtual), or online instruction, based on what best suits their workflow and staff availability.
Training Videos and Integrated Guides: The system includes training videos and easy-to-follow documentation, making it quick for new staff to learn the core functions, such as prescription processing, inventory management, POS, billing, and claims handling.
Step-by-Step User Manuals: Detailed user manuals and quick-start guides further help staff navigate all features of the platform, from setting up patient profiles to managing workflow operations.
Intuitive Interface for Fast Onboarding: The software’s user-friendly design allows for rapid, straightforward onboarding—users consistently report that even those new to pharmacy software can become proficient quickly.
Dedicated Customer Support Team: AbacusRx’s help desk is recognized for being accessible and responsive, addressing questions, troubleshooting software issues, and assisting with customization or workflow changes.
Support Channels: Support is available via phone, email, and online channels. The team provides direct assistance before, during, and after implementation, so new users are never left unsupported.
Continuous Help Post-Implementation: After go-live, pharmacies receive ongoing support to resolve problems, optimize usage, and assist with further training or system adjustments.
Thousands of Users Trained: AbacusRx highlights a history of successfully training thousands of pharmacy users, with positive feedback on both transition support and ongoing customer service.
Problem “Ownership”: The support team is trained to take full responsibility for resolving user issues, ensuring problems are addressed promptly and thoroughly.
Abacus Pharmacy Plus employs several key security measures to protect pharmacy and patient data, aligning with healthcare industry regulations and best practices:
HIPAA Compliance: The software is fully HIPAA-compliant, ensuring that the confidentiality, integrity, and privacy of patient health information are maintained across all platform features. This covers electronic prescription processing, reporting, and communication with other systems.
Role-Based Access Control: The system enables pharmacies to activate and configure multiple security levels, allowing the definition of user roles, permissions, and function-specific access. Each staff member can have personalized logins, and unauthorized attempts are blocked after multiple failed logins.
Electronic Signature and Proof of Delivery: Abacus Pharmacy Plus integrates electronic signature capture both for prescription pickups and proof of delivery. This establishes a digital record trail and reduces the risk of unauthorized access or fraud.
Audit Trails and Logging: System security includes HIPAA logs and audit reports, allowing administrators to review system access, changes, and prescription handling for compliance and investigative purposes.
Document Imaging and Secure Data Management: The software digitizes patient records, prescriptions, insurance data, and more. Document management is centralized within the platform to limit exposure and enhance secure storage.
Secure Billing and Claims Processing: Third-party insurance claims and electronic billing transactions are processed securely, adhering to industry protocols for data protection.
Barcode and Inventory Control: Secure barcode scanning and real-time inventory management help prevent unauthorized access to controlled substances and other sensitive medications, aligning with both security and compliance requirements.
Automated Alerts and Monitoring: Features such as expiration alerts, drug interaction checking, and medication verification strengthen safety and reduce dispensing errors.
Release Notes Publication: Each release is documented with public release notes, outlining new features, improvements, and any integration changes. These notes are accessible through the Abacus Cloud Help Center.
Automated and User-Guided Updates: Updates can be delivered via cloud infrastructure, enabling pharmacies to stay current with minimal manual intervention. Users are typically alerted about new releases, ensuring that staff can prepare for changes or schedule updates at convenient times.
Customer Support: Dedicated support helps with major version transitions or feature upgrades, minimizing workflow disruption. Training resources are available when updates include new modules or user interface changes.
Abacus Pharmacy Plus observes industry-standard practices on data ownership and portability, although it does not publish a detailed public-facing policy directly on its website. Here’s what is established based on available documentation and regulatory compliance:
Data Ownership: Pharmacies using Abacus Pharmacy Plus generally retain ownership of their data, including patient records, prescriptions, and operational information stored within the system. The software acts as a compliant processor of data, not the owner, aligning with the expectations of HIPAA-regulated healthcare technology.
Data Portability: Abacus Pharmacy Plus provides users with the ability to export pharmacy and patient data from the system. Data can typically be extracted in structured formats (such as Excel files) via built-in features or support programs. This allows pharmacies to migrate their data for backup, reporting, or transition to other vendors if needed, supporting portability and reducing vendor lock-in.
HIPAA Compliance: As a HIPAA-compliant solution, Abacus Pharmacy Plus ensures the privacy, integrity, and availability of protected health information (PHI), including the requirement that business associates (such as Abacus) cannot claim ownership of customer PHI and must facilitate data access, export, and deletion as required by law.
User Rights: Users (pharmacies) have the right to access, manage, and request their data, consistent with standard service agreements for healthcare software vendors. The company’s security and privacy statements highlight a commitment to safeguarding data, and data is not retained longer than necessary for legal or operational reasons.
Automatic Renewal: After the initial contract term (often 12 months), the agreement will automatically renew for successive periods of the same length (the "Renewal Terms") unless either party gives at least 30 days written notice before the term ends, indicating the intention to terminate.
Terms of Renewal: Each renewal term remains under the same terms as the previous term. However, Abacus may raise subscription fees by up to 10% (in some cases, up to 15%) per renewal period, provided written notice is given at least 30 days in advance.
Fee Notification: If pricing is to be increased, Abacus must provide written notice to the client at least 30 days before the end of the current term.
Notice Period: Clients on auto-renewal may cancel their subscription at any time with no termination fee, as long as they provide notice (commonly at least 30 days before the next renewal date).
Cure Period for Breach: If either party defaults on material terms, the non-defaulting party must issue a written notice. There's a standard 30-day window to cure the default (extendable to 60 days if good faith efforts are made). Failure to cure allows for termination of the agreement.
Non-Payment: If the client fails to pay fees when due, Abacus can immediately suspend or terminate services without further notice or opportunity to cure.
Pause Option: Clients may pause their subscription for up to six months without cause. If the pause exceeds six months, the subscription will be canceled, and reactivation will be at the current rates.
Data Retention: Data (such as user profiles) from a paused or canceled subscription is preserved and accessible for one year upon renewal.
No Refund Policy: Abacus does not provide refunds for canceled subscriptions. If a client cancels and wishes to reactivate, they must subscribe again at the current rates.
Abacus Pharmacy Plus software is built to meet a broad range of compliance standards and regulatory requirements essential for pharmacy management. Here are the primary compliance standards and certifications it adheres to:
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): Ensures the protection and confidentiality of patient health information across all workflows, including e-prescribing, billing, and reporting.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Requirements: Supports compliance for medication safety, regulated compounding, labeling, and reporting. The system includes features that help pharmacies comply with the FDA’s Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), enabling drug traceability and risk mitigation.
DEA EPCS (Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances): Certified for EPCS, with the system audited under DEA rules (21 CFR Parts 1300, 1304, 1306, and 1311), and activated by SureScripts for controlled substance e-prescriptions.
USP (United States Pharmacopeia): Compliance for compounding and reporting standards for compounded products.
NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs): Adheres to industry standards for electronic prescription processing, claims, and billing.
ASAP (American Society for Automation in Pharmacy): Supports electronic controlled substance prescription reporting per ASAP specifications.
HITECH Meaningful Use (MU): Meets specifications for electronic health record usage under the HITECH Act.
HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services): Follows regulatory guidelines for healthcare software.
EPCS (Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances): Approved and certified for secure, paperless prescribing of controlled medications.
340B Program and PDMP Reporting: Provides reporting tools and compliance for the federal 340B drug pricing program and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) requirements.
DSCSA (Drug Supply Chain Security Act): Ensures traceability of prescription drugs and compliance with all related transaction data and reporting mandates.
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): Supports secure payment and transaction requirements within integrated POS systems.
EHNAC Accreditation: Fully accredited by the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission for data security and health information exchange.
