St. Clair Health Launches MedsInHand Program

Service Saves Patients a Trip to the Pharmacy and Reduces Return Visits to the Hospital

PITTSBURGH, PA (February 25, 2022) – St. Clair Health recently launched the MedsInHand™ program to get patients the right medication as efficiently as possible so they can concentrate on recovery, not tracking down prescriptions. The nationally recognized, integrated health system is the first in southwestern Pennsylvania to collaborate with Walgreens for this type of program.

Offered through the Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy located within Dunlap Family Outpatient Center, the MedsInHand program saves patients a stop at the pharmacy on their way home and eases the transition from hospital care to their home life. The Walgreens team can fill a patient’s prescription, deliver it to their bedside and offer medication counseling before discharge. Plus, a team member will follow up to address any questions or concerns, as well as confirm the patient is using their medications properly.

“With this program, we can ensure patients have everything they need before heading home. The enhanced, integrated experience should lead to greater patient satisfaction, while reducing the likelihood that patients will have to return to the hospital,” said Robert B. Reynolds, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy at St. Clair Health. “We expect to support patients more effectively than ever before as we begin the service for inpatients, same-day surgery patients and emergency department patients. Through our collaboration with Walgreens, we can better serve all of them.”

Altogether, the MedsInHand program works cohesively to help patients get well more quickly. The team of highly-trained pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at Walgreens work diligently to identify any barriers to patient access and speak with prescribers to ensure patients receive their prescriptions in a timely manner. Additionally, the team has knowledge and access to various patient financial assistance platforms to ensure eligible patients can get the help they need.

“One of the best parts of the MedInHands program is the streamlined communication between Walgreens pharmacists and the St. Clair team of physicians,” said Ashley M. Blazewick, PharmD, Manager of the Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy. “We take great pride in having the opportunity to coordinate such a positive experience, and I’m thrilled about the potential impact we can have with this program.”

Adds John Colaizzi, Senior Director, Specialty Pharmacy Operations at Walgreens, “Walgreens offers patients access to specialty medications and highly-trained pharmacists, as well as services like injection training coordination, medication side-effect management, financial assistance for medications and patient progress tracking. We look forward to working with St. Clair to deliver what patients need, right here and now, rather than sending them somewhere else.”

Collaborating with Walgreens is one of many ways in which St. Clair provides expert care from people who care to both patients and the overall community. While the new MedsInHand program is only available to patients at the St. Clair main campus, all community members are welcome to utilize the Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy to fulfill their prescription needs.

To learn more about the MedsInHand program and Walgreens, call 412.502.2863 or visit stclair.org/services/az-listing/walgreens-pharmacy/.

XXX

About St. Clair Health

St. Clair Health is a nationally recognized, integrated health system with more than 2,500 employees and 600 physicians serving 500,000 residents of the region. It encompasses St. Clair Hospital; St. Clair Medical Group—a 135-physician multispecialty group; St. Clair Health Foundation; and other related entities. In 2016, St. Clair Health became a member of Mayo Clinic Care Network. As a leader in high value healthcare, it participates with all major insurers. For more information, visit: www.stclair.org.