privatepractice.md » Management

The Complicated Dance of Doctors and Drug Representatives

Susan Brissette — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:13:28 +0000

For many years now, pharmaceutical companies have relied on drug representatives to persuade doctors to prescribe their products. Why? Because it worked. In 2007 there were 102,000 drug reps in the field, buying lunch, delivering samples and angling for five minutes of face time with a doctor. But, as industry rules for gift exchange have changed and doctors’ time has become even more limited, this marketing model has begun to fall apart and big pharma is retrenching. Industry watchers expect a 25% reduction in the number of drug reps in circulation; recent layoffs in most of the major pharmaceutical companies are validating this projection.

Need to hire a practice manager? Look for the three “Cs”.

Susan Brissette — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:49:57 +0000

If the thought of hiring a practice manager makes you anxious, your reaction is perfectly reasonable. Your practice manager is an incredibly important person in your life. You will not only spend significant amounts of time working with that person, you will trust him or her with the financial underpinnings of your livelihood. It’s smart to recognize the importance of this hire and give the search process the attention it needs.

Purchasing Medical Supplies and Services

Dr. Rich Berning — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:18:31 +0000

Depending on the nature of your specialty, a large amount of supplies may be consumed by your medical practice. These items range from tongue depressors and table paper, to medications such as lidocaine and Penicillin for IM injection. Then there are the special purchases such as the flu vaccine, tetanus shots and the myriad of immunizations that pediatricians and family practitioners need to administer on a regular basis.

Developing Medical Office Protocols

Dr. Rich Berning — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:42:24 +0000

As you get started, and as you reassess your progress and results, you’re going to want to have standardized protocols for many of the activities in your medical office. These can be bound together and serve as the core of your employee manual which is useful for your new employees, and I believe can become the basis for evaluating staff, giving bonuses, and even firing them should you need to do that unpleasant task. The more you automate, the fewer interruptions you will get and your whole private practice team will operate as one well-oiled machine.

Improve Outcomes in Private Medical Practice

Dr. Rich Berning — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:23:38 +0000

It’s all about “outcomes” these days. I’m referring to all the initiatives to measure and compare the clinical care we provide against the results. Much of medicine can be measured with datapoints, but because medicine is as much an art as a science, in my opinion, these new initiatives probably miss the benefits obtained with the “soft” stuff.

Critical Office Staff

Dr. Rich Berning — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:43:15 +0000

Every doctor in private practice knows how important their Practice Manager is to the overall business vitality of their medical practice, but I’d argue that maybe the next most important person you hire is your receptionist. Your patients may love you but if they are not warmly and professionally received in your office or when they call, they will paint your whole practice as “rude” and may eventually decide to look elsewhere for their care.