SMH-Walgreens offers bedside delivery of patients’ prescription medications
 Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Walgreens Pharmacy have teamed up to provide a service that eases the transition from hospital to home: bedside delivery of their prescription medications.
Patients can have their prescriptions filled and delivered directly to their hospital room prior to being discharged, eliminating a tedious extra stop between hospital and home.
They simply fill out a request form that their nurse faxes to the pharmacy, along with the prescriptions. Walgreens handles any necessary insurance authorizations, then fills and delivers the order directly to the patient or the nursing unit.
“The bedside delivery program is more than just a convenience,” said Parlane Reid, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Sarasota Memorial. “It also helps patients avoid delays in starting their medications or missing a dose, which could slow their recovery.”
Earlier this year, Walgreens opened a full-service pharmacy on the second floor of the Waldemere Medical Plaza, located just across the street from the hospital. The bedside delivery program was initially piloted on the mother-baby unit, where it became a popular convenience for new moms. Since then, the hospital and pharmacy have expanded the program to serve patients and staff hospital-wide.
And coming soon, Walgreens will add options for patients to order durable medical equipment, such as walkers, canes, braces, etc. to their bedside delivery or prescription request forms.
A similar service also is available for people who seek care at Sarasota Memorial’s ER in North Port and two local Walk-In Medical Centers. When patients are prescribed medications by their ER or Walk-In Center physicians – and they choose the Walgreens pharmacy option – they can fill out a prescription request form and pick up their medications at a Walgreens pharmacy on their way home at any Walgreens pharmacy they choose.
“When you’re a new mom, or recovering from an illness or injury, we understand how challenging it can be to drop your prescription off at the pharmacy and then return for your medicine later that day or the next day,” said Kay Michael, manager of the new Walgreens at Waldemere Medical Plaza. “Hopefully our bedside delivery program makes life a little easier for those people who use it, and in the process, helps speed their recovery.”
Date Published: November 10, 2009
Media Contact: Kim Savage
Phone: (941) 917-6271
Pager: (941) 252-8101 |
