East Alabama Endocrinology improved patient wait times by automating rep management.

Like many practices, East Alabama Endocrinology, P.C. did not have a process in place to manage the 30 or so life science reps who visited the practice every week. Instead, reps frequently showed up unannounced, asked to speak with a physician, and were usually granted access. The result? Patient appointments were delayed.

“We see more than 50 patients a day,” says Keith Ropke, registered medical assistant who also spent a lot of time scheduling life science reps. “So when you have an unknown number of reps who come in, it causes us to get behind.”

Furthermore, some of the reps did not necessarily provide new information. If physicians were going to make time to meet with reps, they wanted to make sure that they would receive timely and relevant education about new medications for diabetes, thyroid disorders, and a variety of other endocrine conditions, says Ropke.

When a life science rep told Ropke about RxVantage, he thought the solution could help the practice get a handle on the onerous process of managing reps. With RxVantage, reps can self-schedule based on the practice’s availability and preferences. Ropke can control the frequency with which certain reps can book appointments, and he can even message reps directly without having to exchange email addresses.

Going live with RxVantage was simple. East Alabama Endocrinology specifies what reps it wants to see and with what frequency. The RxVantage team helped set up the practice’s unique policies, rules, and office hours.

Since partnering with RxVantage, East Alabama Endocrinology has virtually eliminated drop-in visits. His providers now can focus on rep meetings on a pre-determined basis, and the ability to request information or ask questions in advance of a meeting has made the meetings more productive. Additionally, patient wait times have improved significantly, and administrative staff aren’t burdened with manual processes. When reps need to schedule, cancel, or reschedule appointments, they can do it themselves without needing to call the practice directly.

Not only does RxVantage make us more efficient, but it also ensures that the meetings we conduct with life science reps will be relevant and worth our providers’ time.