Meds in Hands program is a big success

Patients leaving Lawrence + Memorial Hospital with new prescriptions used to have to stop at a community pharmacy to fill them, which could pose an inconvenience during recuperation. Sometimes those meds were unavailable or not covered by insurance.

Today, there’s a better way.

L+M’s “Meds in Hands” program – run by the Yale New Haven Health Pharmacy in L+M’s main lobby – now ensures that virtually every patient goes home with exactly the medications they need for a successful recovery.

Meds in Hands is not unique to L+M, as hospitals across YNHHS are using both Meds in Hands and Meds to Beds models to enhance care. However, L+M was the first hospital in the health system to route discharge prescriptions electronically, directly to its retail pharmacy.

The program boosts patient satisfaction and may be reducing readmissions, according to Janet Mattucci, manager of the retail pharmacy at L+M.

“When a patient is admitted to a med-surg floor, as soon as they get prescriptions for their discharge, the computer automatically makes L+M their preferred pharmacy,” Mattucci said. “If a hospital doctor prescribes something, it automatically comes to us.”

The advantages for patients are numerous. “We handle all pricing issues and prior authorizations before the patient stops in,” Mattucci said. “Beforehand, we use a secure chat to communicate with our hospitalists and nurses. The Patient Transport team is also engaged, bringing patients directly to our pharmacy before they go home. We have everything ready, we answer any questions, and the patient leaves with the meds they need.”

Mattucci said the retail pharmacies prioritize the needs of patients going home after hospitalization, yet also are open to YNHHS employees and the public.

The program’s value is not lost on the hospital’s caregivers. “We don’t want our patients to be readmitted because they didn’t get their meds or didn’t understand how to take them,” said Janine McDonald, RN, patient care manager, Critical Care unit. “Janet and her team are doing outstanding work, and patients appreciate the extra personal touch; they want to keep using the L+M Pharmacy in the future, too.”