NCH Pharmacy Meds-to-Bed program launches

The NCH Pharmacy, which opened last year, is a convenient place to fill or refill a prescription if you happen to be on the hospital campus for a physician visit or test. An even bigger advantage is the new Meds-to-Bed Program, piloted in May and now expanding.

During a hospital stay, patients can have their prescriptions filled and delivered to their bedside before they go home. Patients only need to ask their nurse about the program and they will contact the retail pharmacy to enroll the patient for this service.

“We were piloting the program on two floors and now we’re expanding,” says Pharmacy Manager Sean Gale. “We’re now on the pre- and post-procedure surgical unit, 2 South, 3EN, and 6 South. We hope to be on every floor of the hospital, with a few exceptions, by the end of the year.”

The NCH Pharmacy offers competitive pricing, a caring staff and faster service than retail chain pharmacies. Typically, a prescription is filled in 10 minutes versus 30 minutes to an hour at other pharmacies.

“We are the same price as retail pharmacies, and NCH employees receive a discount,” Gale says. “We’re convenient if patients are seeing a physician or getting a scan done or visiting Cancer Services because they can get their prescriptions filled before going home. We don’t have long lines and we can give more individualized attention.”

During the typical 10-minute wait, patients can walk down a hallway and visit Jazzman’s Café to grab a cup of coffee. “By the time they come back, their prescription will be ready,” Sean says.

The pharmacy also offers a full line of over-the-counter cold medications and pain medications such as Tylenol, Motrin and Aleve. From lozenges and Neosporin to Band-Aids and lidocaine patches, the NCH Pharmacy has a little bit of everything, including snacks and drinks.

“We’re a full service pharmacy with great customer care,” Sean says.

Planning to visit the NCH Pharmacy? Look for flu vaccines, coming soon.

Existing customers can take advantage of the mobile app, Refill RX, or visit the website nch.org/pharmacy to manage their profile or refill prescriptions.

Pharmacy hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. For more information, call 847-618-7427.