IoT & Specialty Pharmacy

The Internet of Things has the power to transform medical treatment and boost global health indicators.

Automated, asynchronous communication and medical data flow is increasingly important for doctors and patients alike. For those who have chronic disorders or critical health conditions, this means having access to information at the touch of button.

IoT brings many advantages to healthcare and here's why:

1. About Internet of Things
2. Internet of Things in Healthcare
3. Benefits in Healthcare
4. Challenges in Healthcare
5. Why IoT is Important for Specialty Pharmacy

How does IoT Work?

The Internet of Things is a developing trend that refers to an ecosystem where each device has its own unique identifier and can communicate with other similar devices in which they all share data. These networks consists of hundreds of thousands of IoT devices that together create an enormous ecosystem.

Every industry benefits from IoT: engineering, oil and gas, marketing, technology, construction, and of course, healthcare.

Our health is constantly monitored by IoT devices that provide us with valuable information about how we're doing, where there might be improvements or problems. Being that we have the hardware and software required to transfer data, a date and time of issue allows for live or near-live sharing.

How IoT Improves Healthcare

Healthcare providers are now able to practice medicine and write biologics beyond the walls of a clinic or hospital due to the advancement of the Internet of Things. IoT devices can remotely monitor patients’ vital signs, send and receive sensitive data, monitor equipment and help people track their health.

Other ways that IoT improves healthcare:

• Lower healthcare costs by streamlining processes
• Optimizes the pharmaceutical manufacturing process, which can result in lower drug and RX specialty prices
• Automates patient care workflow
• Keeps patients better connected to doctors
• Reduces inefficiency and errors
• Maintains quality control
• Analyzes data

Streamlining communication between physicians, specialty pharmacies and patients is essential in simplifying work processes and reducing time for task completion. By automating communication between doctors, it allows for collaborating easily, filing and checking insurance and to help patients with fee-for-service programs.

Benefits of IoT in Healthcare

The use of Internet of Things in healthcare has an infinite number of benefits. There are numerous sensing technologies in health-oriented mobile applications and wearable devices such as fitness trackers, pulse oximeters, blood pressure watches, EEG headbands and many more.

More benefits to IoT in healthcare:

Alerts and Tracking - Medical IoT devices are constantly collecting vital signs and transferring data to doctors for live monitoring, which is especially important for chronic conditions. Notifications are then sent to patients through mobile apps and smart sensors about the status of their health.

Live Reporting and Monitoring - Having a smart medical device connected to a smartphone app offers real-time monitoring. Connected medical devices collect and transfer information via data connection of the smartphone to a physician or to a cloud platform.

Remote Assistance - IoT devices make it easier for patients to contact their doctors in the event of an emergency with smart mobile apps, even if they are a great distance.

Research - IoT has a major impact on medical research, enabling the introduction of more advanced medical treatments.

Sort and Analyze Data - IoT devices can collect, report and analyze real time information and cut the need to store the raw data speeding up decision-making and reducing errors.

Challenges of IoT in Healthcare

The major challenge in healthcare that IoT poses is data security and privacy. Most IoT devices lack data protocols and security requirements making data highly susceptible to cybercriminals, making cybersecurity vital for health-oriented mobile devices and apps.

Other challenges that IoT faces in healthcare deals with the integration of devices, data overload and cost.

Why IoT is Important to Specialty Pharmacies

Applying IoT in healthcare can ensure better patient care. For example, for individuals who suffer from chronic illnesses, like Crohn's disease, or who live in rural areas where access to medical care is limited.

The application of IoT for specialty pharmacies can improve not only a patient’s health but also the work productivity and workflows of clinics, nurses and physicians. By using advanced technology and platforms created specifically with physicians and patients in mind, Senderra is better equipped to serve our prescribers, patients, and partners with real time patient data.

About Senderra

Senderra is a national specialty pharmacy, serving patients with challenging and ongoing medical conditions through provision of specialty medications, clinical expertise and support services.

We dedicate ourselves to designing and executing a model to serve the needs of our patients and partners (Prescribers, Pharma and Payers) in order to make a difference and effect positive outcomes.