FORT BENNING, GA – Need to pick up your new prescriptions after hours? No worries. Martin Army Community Hospital’s Main Pharmacy unveiled their brand new ScriptCenter to the general public August 2.
“Its primary function is to extend the hours for access to the pharmacy in order to target our patients who are working and need to come after hours or on weekends to pick up their medications,” said BMACH Pharmacy Officer in Charge Capt. Jacob Van Bemmel. “The hours of the pharmacy aren’t always the most accessible for people who are traveling long distances.”
You can enroll at the automated kiosk conveniently located right by the elevators on the first floor. All you need is the prescription number, government identification and the date of birth for the patient.
“Pharmacy staff can give you the prescription number for initial enrollment,” assured Van Bemmel. “Once they enroll, all they will have to do is come back, scan their ID and enter their 4-digit PIN. ScriptCenter will pull up their profile and whatever medications they have in there.”
Beneficiaries must specifically request to have their new prescriptions filled at the ScriptCenter. New prescriptions will not automatically be sent to the self-service kiosk.
“It’s going to be the same way you request a rapid return,” added Van Bemmel. “Either by calling us at (762) 408-2172, sending a secure message on TRICARE.online which is our preferred and most reliable form of communication, or requesting it at our service desk.
“It needs to be pre-coordinated. We need to know before the end of our transaction if you want to pick it up after hours or not.”
Once you specify a pickup location, medications will be ready within 72 hours. While the ScriptCenter will carry a wide range of medications, some items are prohibited.
“Initially we will not dispense controlled substances,” explained Van Bemmel. “We will not dispense refrigerated items, like insulin. So they will have to plan on getting those during normal business hours.
“And no mixed or reconstituted medications like antibiotics, just because of stability issues. We don’t want to put those medications in there and then have them expire before people pick them up.”
Patients can pick up prescriptions sent to the ScriptCenter whenever BMACH is open, so essentially 24/7. If medications are not picked up within three days, they get returned to stock.
“Our guidance has been if a patient needs to access the ScriptCenter outside of normal business hours, they are to use the ER entrance,” said Van Bemmel. “If there are issues, off hours, the pharmacy window in the ER hallway will be available to try to get some reconciliation with their medications.”
There are multiple safeguards in place to ensure beneficiaries get the correct prescriptions.
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