Avel eCare, a provider of clinician-to-clinician telemedicine services, has acquired Kansas-based Hospital Pharmacy Management (HPM) for an undisclosed sum.
HPM specialises in remote medication order review and onsite pharmacy management services to hospitals and health systems.
This move aims to bolster Avel eCare’s existing remote pharmacy services and address the current healthcare staffing shortages.
Avel eCare CEO Doug Duskin said: “We recognise 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.”
HPM has been providing hospital pharmacy management and remote pharmacy order verification services to 51 hospitals across Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas since 1993.
HPM’s pharmacists have supported rural hospitals in delivering better patient care, not as a staffing company but by matching hospitals with experienced pharmacists who work both onsite and remotely.
Hospital Pharmacy Management partner and co-owner Bill Walden said: “We’re thrilled to join forces with Avel which has been at the forefront of remote pharmacy services for more than a decade.
“From the ER to the ICU and everywhere in between, pharmacy plays a significant role in improving patient safety and quality of care.”
The acquisition is set to help hospitals and health systems mitigate Pharmacist-in-Charge shortages and reduce burnout by providing round-the-clock access to a team of licensed, hospital-trained pharmacists. These professionals will handle medication order entry, reviews, and verifications, as well as other clinical pharmacy services.
Avel eCare’s expanded Pharmacy team will continue to process millions of orders each year, identifying opportunities for improvement and ongoing monitoring to prevent adverse drug events and enhance care delivery.
Avel eCare operates a virtual health network, partnering with a variety of institutions including hospitals, health systems, and government entities.
The company offers a wide range of virtual care services, including behavioural health, crisis care, emergency, critical care, and senior care, among others.
In May this year, Avel eCare acquired Horizon Virtual, a Minnesota-based provider of virtual hospitalist services.
