VICENZA, Italy -- The U.S. Army Health Center--Vicenza Pharmacy will be closed June 16 and 19 due to construction. Patients will still be able to pick up renewed, refilled and new medication prescriptions but should anticipate longer wait times.
The health center is also closed Thursday morning, June 15, for monthly training, so Pharmacy leadership asks that patients plan ahead for these days to ensure they have plenty of medication.
The most visible phase of the renovations will happen June 16 and 19, and access to the pharmacy will be limited. Pharmacy counters will be closed, but patients will be able to request medication using one of the following options:
1. Request a refill online at www.tricareonline.com,
2. Request a refill through the automated pharmacy line at DSN: 636-9133, comm. 0444-61-9133 (press 1 for Landstuhl, press 3 for Vicenza, then press 1 for refills), or
3. For refills or new prescriptions, fill out medication request slip located in the pharmacy waiting area and place it in the Drop Box for pickup at a later specified time.
All prescriptions requested online, through the automated pharmacy line or via the Drop Box outside the pharmacy will be available for pick-up at the Health Clinic Information Desk, based on the time the request was made. Requests made from 8 a.m. to noon can be picked up the same day after 2 p.m. Requests made after noon can be picked up the next day after 8 a.m.
"The biggest impact to patients will be the longer turnaround time on medication requests during these two days," said Maj. David Delgado, Chief of Pharmacy. "We selected these days based on the USAREUR training holiday and the end of school that week in attempt to mitigate impact on our patients since these days have traditionally been less busy for us.
"We have had major construction going on behind the scenes at the USAHC-V Pharmacy for a few months and our pharmacy team has been working hard to minimize the impact on our patients," Delgado explained. "We have kept the average wait time down to about 10 minutes for new prescriptions and only around three minutes for refills that had been called in or left in our drop box."
As a reminder, a prescription RENEWAL works differently than a refill. Renewal refers to a prescription that was previously prescribed and the provider renews because the patient ran out of refills, it expired or there was a change to the prescription. Prescription renewals cannot be called in using the automated pharmacy line because they are tied to a new prescription number, much like getting a whole new medication prescribed. To request a renewal, please contact your healthcare team through https://app.mil.relayhealth.com or by phone at DSN 636-9000, comm. 044-61-9000. Please allow three working days for prescription renewals. Once a prescription renewal has been put in by a provider, patients can pick up the medication at the pharmacy by grabbing a "New Rx/Renewal" ticket or by utilizing the Drop Box system for later pickup with expedited service.
This construction brings necessary changes to pharmacy processes June 16 and 19, but with proper planning the impact won't be as noticeable. Now is the time to check the amount of medication you have and make any requests for refills or renewals in advance as the pharmacy closure will mean longer turnaround times, with many medications not available until the next day. Plan ahead now so you won't be caught in a bad situation later.
Social Sharing