MALVERN, Pa. — McKesson Corp.’s High Volume Solutions group is set to roll out Central Fill as a Service (CFaaS), a solution that gives pharmacies central-fill capability without the investment in equipment, inventory and extra staff.

McKesson said Friday that CFaaS is available via a per-prescription fee that can slash a pharmacy’s per-prescription cost to dispense, unlike the hefty upfront investment needed in the traditional central-fill model. The company plans to introduce CFaaS — targeted at small chain pharmacies and health system outpatient pharmacies — at the ASHP Midyear 2016 Clinical Meeting & Exhibition in Las Vegas, which runs Dec. 4 to 8.

CFaaS brings together McKesson’s central-fill pharmacy automation technology and operational expertise, integrated pharmacy workflow, broad pharmaceutical distribution network, and streamlined 340B ordering and inventory capabilities to create new revenue and cost-savings opportunities for pharmacies that may not have the resources to build their own central-fill facility, the company said. A team of McKesson High Volume Solutions pharmacy automation experts will work with each CFaaS customer to tailor the service to their needs.

Small chain pharmacies can benefit from CFaaS through improved efficiencies, lower costs and a sharper focus on patient care, according to McKesson. That, in turn, can translate into value in patient care for small chains through a focus on payer performance criteria, including medication adherence, the company said.

Also, pharmacies that already operate a central-fill facility in need of an upgrade can benefit from CFaaS as an option to investing in new or additional equipment, McKesson added. Pharmacies, too, can use the service to increase revenue by pursuing business in new markets such as employee fills, mail order, specialty, 340B or long-term care.

For health system outpatient pharmacies, central-fill access can improve per-capita costs and free staff to focus on population health and patient care, McKesson said. These pharmacies can devise medication adherence and counseling programs to improve patient health outcomes and reduce readmission rates by capturing fills on discharge and then retaining them after discharge.

“We are excited to offer this new service to our customers who traditionally have not been able to take advantage of our central-fill solutions,” stated Joe Tammaro, vice president of sales at McKesson High Volume Solutions. “Central Fill as a Service allows our customers to benefit from a combination of many assets and tools available from McKesson, including distribution, inventory optimization, industry-leading pharmacy management systems, 340B inventory management, and extensive central-fill operational expertise.”