Pharmacy Purchasing Optimization Analytics 2024
An Initial Look at Performance & Capabilities

Note: As this is a developing market, the customer bases for these solutions are small and growing, and overall customer satisfaction is generally high. KLAS will continue to monitor this segment as it expands.

All Measured Solutions Drive Satisfaction by Providing Accurate Savings Opportunities; QuicksortRx Particularly Noted for Consistently Delivering ROI

Across vendors, most interviewed customers are highly satisfied with their solution. In this new market, customers feel there is exciting potential to receive a strong ROI by identifying savings opportunities that otherwise would have been missed. QuicksortRx respondents report the highest overall satisfaction as well as the highest confidence in the accuracy of the solution’s reported savings, and many feel they have seen a quick ROI and are exceeding their savings expectations. SpendMend Trulla* respondents also feel they are realizing the savings promised by the vendor, with one customer even noting they are seeing at least four times the return on their investment in the solution. Almost all Verity Solutions Verisave* respondents highlight the automated savings and the time savings from automated cost comparisons and easier auditing. One organization feels they aren’t getting the savings they expected given the solution’s cost. Most Bluesight CostCheck* respondents report an ROI with the solution as well as confidence in its accuracy. Although respondents are mostly satisfied overall, a few are less confident in the accuracy of reported savings, with one customer noting that while the solution does provide actual savings, the amount has felt conflated in some instances.

*Limited data

SpendMend* Seen as Innovative; All Vendors’ Customers Look to Add Additional Purchasing Channels to Maximize Value of Solutions

As purchasing optimization is still a fairly new and developing area, interviewed customers across the board feel their vendor is making large investments in solution development. SpendMend* in particular is seen as innovative, and of all vendors’ respondents, SpendMend’s are most satisfied with the delivery of new technology and their solution’s ease of use, reporting broad adoption of capabilities. Additionally, respondents appreciate that developments are guided by customer feedback, as the vendor’s developers partner directly with customers to understand their organizational needs. A few respondents would like access to more purchasing channels—an important consideration for customers in this space. Interviewed QuicksortRx customers appreciate the solution’s visibility into active contracts and generally feel the solution has the functionality they need. Strong wholesaler integration is mentioned by many, with respondents highlighting the availability of clear purchasing data. Two respondents report integration that allows purchasing from a secondary wholesaler, and another reports direct purchasing integration with the manufacturer. A few customers want more distributor-supplier integrations—a common request among customers of all solutions. Bluesight CostCheck* respondents feel the solution is simple and easy to use. One customer reports integration with three wholesalers—the highest number of wholesaler integrations validated in this report. Respondents want increased automation as the solution continues to be developed. Verity Solutions Verisave* respondents appreciate the transparency and granular details available to them about their purchasing history and habits, which aid in processes such as auditing. Almost all respondents want better visibility into what is in stock, as the solution occasionally selects options that, while cheaper, are not in stock or are on back order. Notably, creating better visibility would require effort from the software vendor as well as strong cooperation from the wholesaler.

*Limited data

Beyond Product Capabilities, QuicksortRx & SpendMend Trulla* Customers Highlight Vendor Engagement & Consultation in Finding Savings

QuicksortRx respondents see the vendor as a proactive and strong partner, highlighting the vendor’s ability to identify additional savings opportunities that supplement those identified by the solution. Customers have ongoing meetings with the vendor to identify savings opportunities and receive help in renegotiating contracts—one organization says that because QuicksortRx has these meetings with all customers, the vendor is able to identify trends and provide valuable market knowledge. SpendMend* is also seen as a consultative partner in identifying savings opportunities beyond what the Trulla solution offers. Respondents appreciate their relationships with developers and account managers; one organization in particular points to how their advisor helps identify additional savings strategies. Respondents generally feel optimistic about SpendMend’s partnership, noting that the vendor has maintained a high level of service since they acquired Trulla.

Overall, Verity Solutions and Bluesight are not referred to as often as consultative partners that identify savings opportunities beyond those provided by the technology. Verity Solutions Verisave* respondents report good relationships with account managers and feel the vendor is proactive and has a good implementation process. Bluesight CostCheck* respondents note that the vendor’s support is responsive and helpful when solving problems.

*Limited data

About This Report

Each year, KLAS interviews thousands of healthcare professionals about the IT solutions and services their organizations use. For this report, interviews were conducted over the last 12 months using KLAS’ standard quantitative evaluation for healthcare software, which is composed of 16 numeric ratings questions and 4 yes/no questions, all weighted equally. Combined, the ratings for these questions make up the overall performance score, which is measured on a 100-point scale. The questions are organized into six customer experience pillars—culture, loyalty, operations, product, relationship, and value.

To supplement the client satisfaction data gathered with the standard evaluation, KLAS created a supplemental evaluation asking respondents the following questions about purchasing optimization:

1. Is your solution managing purchasing channels beyond your primary wholesaler? If yes, what benefits do you see from including additional channels, if any?
2. Which capabilities are you using in your system?
3. How satisfied are you with your solution’s ability to optimize ordering in order to avoid missed savings?
4. How confident are you in the accuracy of reported savings provided by your solution?

Sample Sizes

Unless otherwise noted, sample sizes displayed throughout this report (e.g., n=16) represent the total number of unique customer organizations interviewed for a given vendor or solution. However, it should be noted that to allow for the representation of differing perspectives within any one customer organization, samples may include surveys from different individuals at the same organization. The table below shows the total number of unique organizations interviewed for each vendor or solution as well as the total number of individual respondents.

Some respondents choose not to answer particular questions, meaning the sample size for any given vendor or solution can change from question to question. When the number of unique organization responses for a particular question is less than 15, the score for that question is marked with an asterisk (*) or otherwise designated as “limited data.” If the sample size is less than 6, no score is shown. Where textual content relies on limited data, the vendor name is marked with an asterisk. Note that when a vendor has a low number of reporting sites, the possibility exists for KLAS scores to change significantly as new surveys are collected.