Dec. 27, 2024

Sioux Falls-based Avel eCare has acquired a Kansas-based provider of remote medication order review and on-site pharmacy management services to hospitals and health systems.

The addition of Hospital Pharmacy Management Inc. strengthens and builds on Avel’s existing remote pharmacy services, the company said in a statement.

“We recognize the critical role that pharmacies play in health systems. This deal will enable us to expand our telepharmacy support and management services at a time when health systems are struggling with staffing shortages among other challenges,” said Doug Duskin, CEO of Avel eCare.

HPM was founded in 1993 and provides hospital pharmacy management and remote pharmacy order verification to 51 hospitals across Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Texas.

The staff of approximately two dozen is based remotely and will continue to work from their respective locations.

While not a pharmacy staffing company, HPM has matched hospitals with experienced pharmacists who serve as pharmacists-in-charge in a mix of on-site and remote capacities.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with Avel, which has been at the forefront of remote pharmacy services for more than a decade,” said Bill Walden, partner and co-owner of Hospital Pharmacy Management. “From the ER to the ICU and everywhere in between, pharmacy plays a significant role in improving patient safety and quality of care.”

The expanded Avel Pharmacy team “will help hospitals and health systems mitigate pharmacist-in-charge shortages and reduce burnout by providing 24/7 access to a team of licensed, hospital-trained pharmacists for medication order entry, reviews and verifications of orders and other clinical pharmacy services,” the organization said.

“The Avel Pharmacy team promptly and efficiently processes millions of orders each year while identifying opportunities for improvement and ongoing monitoring. These activities help to avoid adverse drug events and improve care delivery.”

Avel eCare offers the largest and most comprehensive virtual health network in the world, partnering with hospitals, health systems, government entities, schools, senior care communities, and law enforcement and EMS agencies around the country.