Patient-centered process improvements are reducing wait
times at 59th Medical Wing pharmacies across Joint Base San Antonio.
“Multiple process improvements have decreased processing
times by 48 percent over the past two months, according to 59th MDW pharmacy
officials at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, here.
Our main pharmacy at Wilford Hall currently has an average
prescription processing time of 15 minutes,” said Lt. Col. Rodney Jorstad,
pharmacy flight commander.
Among the improvements is a program that embeds pharmacy
technicians into clinics that issue the most prescriptions, including family
health, internal medicine and pediatrics. The embedded technicians review
prescriptions with the patient to talk about instructions and warnings, and
verify that everything is correct before sending the prescription electronically
to the pharmacy.
Patients don’t have to check in at the pharmacy, they only
need to look for their name on the monitor indicating their prescription is
ready.
“Having pharmacy technicians embedded in the clinics helps
everybody,” Jorstad said. “It’s convenient for the patient and because
technicians can clarify any issues with the provider right away, it reduces the
risk of error.”
Patients are also given an estimated wait time so they can
make the best use of their time instead of sitting in a lobby.
“My wait time was a lot less today. Usually it takes an
hour, but I had enough time to fill my prescriptions and eat lunch,” Alisa
Phoenix, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center patient, said.
Improvement in prescription delivery times are attributable
to a streamlining of the automated prescription processing system and a
reorganization of inventory to increase workflow efficiency.
“The wing will keep seeking ways to leverage its resources
to provide the ultimate patient experience,” Jorstad said.