Remember also that your pharmacy is responsible for the integrity and safety of 
all medications dispensed in your facility, including those brought in from 
home.  Are 15 different medications in one bottle or medications wrapped in a 
Kleenex still in date?  Have they been stored as per manufacturer guidelines 
(meds left in a 140° car interior for several months are probably outside the 
guidelines).  Are the home meds even legitimate prescriptions for the patient 
or are they "borrowed" from someone else?  

I could go on, but you see my point.  I'd rather not be held responsible for 
this type of junk.  If the MD is really interested in saving the patient money, 
maybe he/she should discount his/her fees.  This would more than cover the 
savings that using home meds might bring.



Alan Miller, RPh
Pharmacist
Patient Care Information Systems
Catawba Valley Medical Center
810 Fairgrove Church Road
Hickory, NC  28602


>>> Howard Chase <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 07/19/2007 07:51 >>>
Janet,

We initially allowed pts to bring in their own meds. We quickly realized that 
this was a huge 
mistake. As far as I know we were the only hospital in the area allowing this 
practice.

Many times meds brought in were difficult to identify and required a huge 
amount of Pharmacy 
time to verify. Often patients would put all their meds in one bottle and even 
they didn't 
really know what they were for.

The Med staff wanted to continue the practice in spite of the risks (they 
wanted to save the 
pts. money) but eventually all realized the practice is not safe.

We had a huge campaign of advertisement in the paper and passing out handouts 
to all patients 
when we changed the policy. A number of meds were repriced to bring them in 
line with the cost 
the patient would pay if they were not in the hospital.

I hope your admin fee is high enough to cover your costs incurred,..... I doubt 
it though.

Howard Chase, RN
Senior Clinical Analyst
Androscoggin Valley Hospital
59 Page Hill Road
Berlin, NH 03570
(603)326-5669

Janet Austin wrote:
> We are having increasing #'s of patient's  coming in wanting to take 
> their home meds and would like to know how other hospitals are handling 
> this issue.  We currently are putting the med in as home med  labeling 
> it as patient home med and  placing it on  MAR so that we charge a sm 
> administration fee. 
> 
> Med Exec wants to know why we are doing it this way, and feel the 
> patient should not be charged.
> Pharmacy thoughts are eliminating this would totally bypasses the BMV 
> system that we have set up.
> 
> Any thoughts to support us would be great.
> 
> 
> 
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Catawba Valley Medical Center
810 Fairgrove Church Rd
Hickory NC 28602
828-326-3000

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