FORT GORDON, Ga. - Prior to transitioning to the new electronic health record at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC), known as MHS GENESIS, DDEAMC’S pharmacy maintained one of the best patient satisfaction records of any pharmacy across the entire Department of Defense, delivering new prescriptions to beneficiaries. Since mid-June of this year, however, the transition to MHS GENESIS decelerated many of our processes. MHS GENESIS boasts many beneficial, new-patient safety features, but additional steps and data entry requirements slowed our throughput, especially in laboratory and pharmacy. While the lab has largely restored service by decentralizing specimen draw, the pharmacy remains challenged.
Before our transition, the average length of time to fill a prescription was 1 minute, 45 seconds. Processing time with MHS GENESIS now averages 3 minutes, 27 seconds per prescription. While the time difference may seem small, when multiplied by the number of prescriptions requested in a given day, (1,100 on average), you’ll quickly recognize the reason for longer wait times. The longer processing time is a combination of many variables including additional data entry requirements by our staff, insurance verification, and benefit confirmation.
The results of the additional processing time means the vast majority of our patients will have a 2-day wait before picking up their medications when filled at DDEAMC. There are other options to filling your prescriptions, however. Explore the different options for filling your prescription(s) on our webpage at: https://eisenhower.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Pharmacy.
If you elect to fill your prescription(s) at the DDEAMC pharmacy, activating your prescription is the key and important first step. One way to activate your prescription is by texting ‘Get In Line’ to 877-443-0592. This is the first step in the ‘Q Anywhere’ system which allows you to indicate that you need a prescription filled without having to physically be at DDEAMC. After you text ‘Get In Line,’ you will be prompted for your DoD ID number. After following the rest of the prompts, press ‘1’ to have the pharmacy begin working on your prescriptions. Then, after two business days, repeat the steps above, except press ‘2’ to indicate you are ready to pick up your prescriptions. You will receive a text message ‘Prescription is Ready’ when the pharmacy is ready with your prescriptions. You should then make your way to the DDEAMC main pharmacy. Once you arrive at the hospital, text ‘I am here’ and you will be called to the window to pick up your medications.
Another option for activating a request for a prescription is to pull a ‘STEP 1’ ticket from the kiosk in the Pharmacy waiting area at DDEAMC. Wait times for this option are the same as the Q Anywhere option, so patients should expect a 2 business day wait before medications are ready. Return to the pharmacy after two business days and pull a ‘STEP 2’ ticket from the kiosk to let us know you are ready to pick up your prescription(s).
We recognize these delays in obtaining your medications are frustrating, so we’re working on a plan to restore safe and timely prescription service to our patients. We ordered 1,200 ScriptCenter lockers. These are the same blue and gray lockers you may have noticed in the main pharmacy area. These lockers will be utilized for refilled prescriptions that can be stored at room temperature. A one-time registration for using the ScriptCenter (which occurs at the locker screen and keyboard) is easy and fast and requires the number from your refilled prescription. Once the lockers are delivered, we will install them around post including the PX and at Darling Hall. We will transition almost all of our refilled medications to these lockers which offers more convenience and expanded hours. Then, the refill pharmacy at the PX will transition to fill new prescriptions like the main pharmacy at DDEAMC. We are also hiring many additional pharmacy staff members. All of these actions will help to reduce the wait times dramatically. Even more improvements to the pharmacy waiting area are planned for 2023 as well.
While the transition to MHS GENESIS across the Military Health System has caused similar delays at other facilities, we are dedicated to reducing your pharmacy wait times here at DDEAMC. It’s what our patients deserve, and we are grateful you trust us with your care.
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2022 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 434542 |
| Location: | GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,004 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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