DGMC pharmacy shows off new look

  • Published
  • By 60th Medical Group Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  After years of planning and months of hard work, the last major piece of David Grant USAF Medical Center's Phase I structural improvement and modernization program finally dropped anchor. The $3.2 million outpatient pharmacy officially opened its doors Sept. 12 after relocating to a new expanded work section on the second floor in the medical center.

"The new pharmacy is located near our other ancillary services such as TRICARE, X-ray and the laboratories, thereby making it convenient for patients once they've completed their appointment with their healthcare provider," said Lt. Col. Michael Lee, 60th Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron deputy pharmacy flight commander. "Our pharmacy lobby area has also doubled in size and the waiting area has larger monitors to display our patient waiting queuing system."

Adding to the new look of the second floor is a kiosk system with a voice guided directory shared between the co-located areas. A patient requiring service at one of these functional areas presses the appropriate department on one of two kiosks in the lobby area. A ticket will be fed out and a representative for that functional area will call the patient to the appropriate window for service.

"The kiosk system has been in place at our pharmacy for several years, but this is the first time the pharmacy shares that functionality with two other departments," Lee said. "If one of our patients requires service with more than one area, we ask that they wait to be served by one of the departments before pulling another ticket."

According to Lee, the entire contents of the original pharmacy were moved from the first floor to its new location in 12 hours the Saturday prior to opening. The new pharmacy now occupies a 5,500 square foot workspace which includes a narcotic vault four times the size of the original. It has two functional areas to process new prescriptions and refills to be picked up at the Exchange pharmacy. Assisting the staff are three robotic medication filling stations capable of counting, filling and labeling a typical prescription in 30 seconds.

"The pharmacy administrative area has expanded to include a dedicated documents room, an enclosed dedicated area for medication compounding and repackaging and a dedicated patient counseling room where the patient can have a private conversation with a pharmacist," Lee said. "Additionally, our pharmacy staff appreciates having a dedicated conference and break room containing a state-of-the-art smart board and training monitor for meetings and medication in-services."

Combining the pharmacy with the customer service center, clinical laboratories and diagnostic imaging sections has given the overall area the unofficial moniker of "The Patient Mall." These improvements in service and efficiencies and shorter travel distances within the medical center have not gone unnoticed by both patients and medical staff.

"Our mission is to provide trusted pharmacy care to America's heroes," said Col. Joseph Weaver, 60 MDTS pharmacy flight commander. "By investing in this facility, I hope our patrons realize how dedicated our DGMC pharmacy is to serving their needs."

For more information about pharmacy services at DGMC, call 423-7114.