5 Key Takeaways from the 13th Annual FrameworkLTC User Conference

The FrameworkLTC Annual User Conference brings together hundreds of users and partners each year for an opportunity to connect with and learn from the brightest minds in long-term care (LTC) pharmacy. Whether you couldn’t make it this year or simply want to relive the excitement, we’ve got you covered.

Keep reading to discover key takeaways and insights from the 13th annual conference.

Build, Partner, Serve: About This Year’s Conference Theme

This year’s conference theme focused on three pillars: “Build, Partner, Serve,” with exciting content for each:

• Building products, people, and processes: Customers had an opportunity to connect with specific product management teams to see what we’re building, share feedback, and ask questions. We also shared a preview of the newest version of FrameworkTLC with interface updates and new strategic capabilities.

• Partnering with best-in-class providers: During the conference, we highlighted new strategic partnerships focused on regulatory compliance, delivery, and more. These partnerships showcase our dedication to providing comprehensive and effective tools for our customers in the long-term care pharmacy industry.

• Serving by bringing people together: During lab sessions, users could work one-on-one with a trainer on any topic, run through scenarios, and hear about possible outcomes. Networking opportunities gave attendees the chance to connect with pharmacies (of all sizes, from all over the country) to learn what’s working and what’s not.

5 Takeaways from Our 13th Annual User Conference

In addition to learning more about driving success through software—and countless other invaluable innovations and insights—there were five key takeaways from this year’s conference. We focused on:

1. Adapting to Long-Term Care at Home

Recently there has been a massive industry transition to servicing more LTC patients in their own homes—and this trend is expected to continue.

This transition is largely due to new minimum staffing standards mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which more than 75 percent of LTC facilities will need to add additional staff to meet, as well as a shortage of facilities and an ever-increasing number of LTC patients who want to receive care at home.

To prepare for this transition, pharmacies offering LTC services will need a plan that focuses on delivery to individual residences (rather than facilities), communication with caregivers, the right vendor support and technology, and more.

2. Enhancing Pharmacy Delivery with Logistics

The goal is always to get the right medications to the right patients at the right time—and logistics are helping to make that happen.

That’s why this year we focused on integrating a new delivery logistics platform, Virtue Technologies, into FrameworkLTC. This partnership will help improve efficiency, the patient experience, and accessibility by offering powerful delivery management capabilities like real-time reports, on-time pickups, professional branded drivers, regulatory compliance features, and better visibility into deliveries and processes.

3. Optimizing Inventory Management with Tech

Supply chain problems and staffing issues are impacting LTC pharmacies, leading to a lack of consistency in processes and an inability to manage inventory effectively.

During the conference, we highlighted proven strategies and innovative techniques to streamline inventory processes, reduce costs, minimize stockouts, and maximize profits. For example, we discussed popular topics like:

• Maintaining a preferred NDC

• Redirecting to a new NDC

• Making substitutions as needed

• Gaining visibility into what’s on hand

• Managing inventory with multiple locations

4. Making the Switch to Prospective Billing

Prospective billing, or unit dose composite, is becoming more and more common in the industry—but pharmacies are hesitant to transition.

Helping pharmacies understand the benefits, challenges, and implementation strategies associated with prospective billing in pharmacy settings was a focus area this year. Switching to prospective billing can lead to increased cash flow, better inventory control, waste reduction, workflow efficiency, and improved billing accuracy. However, it does require robust communication between pharmacists, nursing staff, and prescribers, along with careful forecasting and navigating complex logistics.

5. Exploring the Commercial Side of the Conference

The commercial side of the conference was a huge success: We had an impressive 32 partners and integrators exhibit at the event.

One of the partners in attendance was the Pharmacy Podcast Network, which was set up as an extension of our booth to provide special coverage of the event. This resulted in a three-part series you can find on our podcast, Framework Focus, which we launched earlier this year to explore trends, innovations, and insights in long-term care.

Save the Date: Planning for the 2024 User Conference

The FrameworkLTC User conference is behind us, but here’s the good news: It happens every year! Save the date for next year’s conference, which will be held on Oct 8-10, 2024 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

It’s never too early to start planning or budgeting for the conference so you don’t miss out—and we really hope you won’t!