What We Tried

To ensure our patients go home with the right medications, we implemented a plan for bedside delivery of discharge medications. To do this, we established a relationship with a local pharmacy to deliver patients’ medications prior to discharge. This service is offered for all medications and to all patients prior to discharge. At HealthSouth, we place an emphasis on CMS-deemed high-risk medications, which are opioids, anticoagulants and hypoglycemic agents. As an example, with the patient’s permission, we enroll the patients that are prescribed a novel anticoagulant agent such as Xarelto or Eliquis for a savings card through the manufacturer that gives them a free 30-day supply and discounts on refills and provide the patient with the option of having that medication delivered prior to discharge. For our opioid patients, we run their prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) prior to discharge and notify the pharmacy of their choosing of our findings. We then verify the medication is in stock and identify any barriers the patient might face to filling their prescription, and also present the patient the option of having the medication delivered by our local pharmacy prior to discharge. For our diabetic patients, we put a prescription label on the insulin pen that was being used to care for the patient while they were at our facility and discharge them with it so they have some insulin on hand upon discharge.