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It’s a new service now being offered at all five Lee Health hospitals. “When patients are getting discharged from the hospital, our pharmacy will put the medications in their hand at the time of discharge so they can head right home with those medications,” said Shelli Sadler, a pharmacy supervisor with Lee Health.

The program is an effort to guarantee patients get the medicine they need after they leave the hospital. “We’ve seen a decreased readmission rate. This program has shown nationwide that when patients have the medications in their hand that they are less likely to readmitted,” said Sadler.

Studies show about 22 percent of patients never have their prescription medication filled after leaving the hospital. Through the meds to beds program, pharmacists take care of the insurance and payment from the comfort of the patient’s hospital room.

“Our staff work so hard to get patients stabilized and healthy and operating at 100 percent, so we want to make sure that we send them home with what they need to stay at 100 percent, so they don’t have to come back and see us again,” said Sadler.

The meds to beds program remove barriers like wait times and transportation, making it easier for patients to get the continued care they need. “Patients and the nursing staff have really liked having this service available. Patients have responded very positively, and they are happy that the service is here,” she said.

A service that ensures patients get the medication they need to improve their health and prevent them from coming back to the hospital.