New Pharmacy Meds-to-Beds Program eases patient discharge process
Meds-to-Beds Program offered by VMH ... Veterans Memorial Hospital now offers a Meds-to-Beds program to all patients admitted to the facility. This program was developed in coordination with Hartig Drug and Nightingale Drug to help ease the discharge process, which can be very stressful for patients and family members. Pictured above beside a hospital patient bed, left to right, are hospital pharmacist Brittney Snitker, Pharm.D.; Mara Knutson, RN; Kelly Bollman, RN; and Penny Wheeler, C.N.A. Submitted photo.
by Brittney Snitker, Pharm. D., BCPS
Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) now offers a Meds-to-Beds program to all patients admitted to our facility. This program was developed in coordination with Hartig Drug and Nightingale Drug to help ease the discharge process, which can be very stressful for patients and family members. There are many items to organize at discharge including equipment needs, new medications, arranging home caretakers, and countless other accommodations.
Meds-to-Beds helps facilitate a smooth transition home. Rather than rushing to the pharmacy before closing or planning how to maneuver into the pharmacy to pick up medications after an illness or painful surgery, patients no longer have to present to the pharmacy. Both Waukon pharmacies will deliver medications to the patient’s hospital bed prior to going home.
Nationwide, Meds-to-Beds programs have been shown to reduce readmission rates. They ensure patients receive all of their important medication and reduce the chance of missing necessary doses of new medications. When patients receive and take their medications as prescribed, the chance of staying healthy, home, and out of the hospital is greatly increased.
The VMH Meds-to-Beds service is free to all patients. Nightingale Drug and Hartig Drug will receive prescriptions from a patient’s healthcare provider, bill the medications to the patient’s insurance company, and deliver free of charge to their hospital room.
Medications will have the same co-pay as they would if they were picked up directly at the pharmacy. To be eligible for the program, a healthcare provider must send prescriptions by 1 p.m. the day of discharge to the pharmacy of choice and the pharmacy will deliver when they are ready. This process usually takes about two hours, depending on how many new prescriptions are requested. Patients must have payment available upon delivery in the form of cash or check, or ideally provide the pharmacy with credit card information prior to delivery. Meds-to-Beds is a convenient service that ensures patients receive their medications in a timely manner while relieving one stress from what can be a very stressful day.
For more information, call Veterans Memorial Hospital Pharmacist Brittney Snitker, Pharm.D., BCPS, at 563-568-3411.
