Through this teamwork, meds-to-beds programs within hospitals facilitate prescription capture-the percentage of patients whose prescriptions are filled by the outpatient pharmacy prior to discharge. “The medications are delivered to the bedside, where questions can be answered and instructions given.” That is, they are able to quickly fill patient prescriptions, which are linked to patients’ electronic medical records to facilitate last-minute changes,” Cesarz said. “The pharmacy team also needs to convey the benefits of its in-hospital location. This may include providing updates on newly available medications and related patient instructions, prescriptions that require additional time to fill or drug shortages that may impact patients whose prescriptions are filled outside of the hospital. Patient care is best supported by an outpatient pharmacy team who regularly communicates with inpatient care teams. Inpatient care teams: Outpatient pharmacy liaisons Follow up after discharge is another differentiator that improves patient satisfaction and reduces readmissions. “I didn’t have to go to the pharmacy as I had to do after many previous hospitalizations.” She added that a pharmacist gave her a list of the 23 new medications that were prescribed, and she was taught how to phonetically pronounce the medication names in case she had questions.Īs is common with these types of programs, the pharmacist also gave Taylor a business card with contact information. “It was so carefree, all I had to do was come home,” she said. The Washington Post recently profiled patient experiences with med-to-beds programs and quoted Bette Taylor, a kidney-transplant patient, about her experience. Taking this step offers an opportunity to answer questions and address concerns. This attentive level of care also extends to medication counseling, which is provided by a pharmacist, physician or other clinical staff. We will then do all we can to assist them in obtaining their necessary medications before they leave the hospital.” We can verify benefits, so we will know if a patient has high co-pays, or if they’re uninsured or are indigent. If they carry the meds, they may not be open if the patient is discharged after normal business hours,” Cesarz said. If the prescription is sent to a hometown pharmacy outside the health system, that pharmacy may not have the medication, or they may not be able to buy it from their wholesaler. “Let’s say a patient is started on a medication before leaving the hospital. Patients report that lack of convenience and high drug costs are their biggest barriers to obtaining prescription medications. Studies have shown that one-third of patients leaving the hospital will not have their prescriptions filled, and not taking medications as prescribed is one of the key reasons for readmission. The meds-to-beds concept was developed to help decrease readmissions, improve discharge prescription capture, reduce barriers to medication adherence and improve the patient experience. “Meds-to-beds removes a lot of barriers to medication adherence that patients may encounter if they leave without their prescriptions,” said Cesarz, who is also vice chair of the ambulatory pharmacy development (APD) committee at Vizient. Joseph Cesarz, MS, PharmD, director of ambulatory pharmacy services at UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin, said an effective bedside prescription delivery service offers more than dropping off medication. “The committee recommends insourcing retail and specialty pharmacy services, including associated services such as bedside prescription delivery at discharge (“meds-to-beds”), discharge medication reconciliation, care-transition drug therapy management, post-discharge medication teaching and follow up, and chronic disease medication therapy and compliance management.” “Such programs require relatively minimal investment and generate rapid, positive patient outcomes and cost efficiencies for the organization,” noted the Pharmacy Network Executive Committee (PNEC) at Vizient in a 2016 report. Outpatient (ambulatory) pharmacy programs are anything but trivial, however, considering the benefits they provide patients and health systems, alike. hospitals, according to a 2016 survey from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. If you’re a fan of industry trivia, you’ll want to remember this tidbit: Outpatient pharmacies can be found in approximately 35 percent of U.S.
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