Physician dispensing: an old idea is new again.

Faced with declining reimbursement for infusional therapies, an oncology practice turned to physician dispensing to offset the loss. Its leaders quickly discovered that the dispensing-vendor landscape was limited, and few guidelines existed for product line development. Yet the approach offers a competitive response to the changing health care landscape. With physician-dispensing prescription costs 50 percent below the national average and generic substitution 50 percent higher than the national average, the potential cost savings for payers and consumers is staggering.