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May 7, 2012: On-Site Pharmacy at South Community Makes Medication Compliance Easier and More Convenient for PLACES Clients and Tenants

A new collaboration between PLACES and South Community Behavioral Healthcare is making it easier and more convenient for PLACES clients and tenants to get and take their medications.

PLACES clients and tenants now have the option to fill their prescriptions at Quality of Life (QoL) meds, the on-site pharmacy at South Community, 3095 Kettering Blvd., where some already go for behavioral health care services. Any required bloodwork also can be completed while patients are on-site.

“Now our clients and tenants can get their medications and bloodwork done at the same place, at the same time, saving time, money and transportation resources and allowing more coordination of care,” explained Roy Craig, executive director of PLACES. “They no longer have to worry about how to get their medications filled or where to go. By making it more convenient for patients to get the medications they need in one place, they are more likely to take them, which ultimately reduces hospitalizations and costs to the community.”

« Erika Chapman, a pharmacist at QoL meds located on-site at South Community Behavioral Healthcare, dispenses Dispill packaging of medication to a patient. PLACES clients and tenants now can choose to fill their prescriptions at QoL meds, an easy and convenient option, thanks to a new collaboration between PLACES and South Community.

QoL meds – a national organization that places full-service pharmacies inside community mental health centers like South Community – specializes in behavioral health patients, said Carol Smerz, CEO of South Community.

“The QoL pharmacist understands the mental health system and knows that the patient coming to the window has been identified with mental illness, substance abuse or both,” Smerz said. “So the pharmacist is more sensitive to the needs and questions these patients may have about their medications.”

Craig said PLACES clients and tenants also benefit from the Dispill medication packaging offered by QoL meds, which is personalized for each patient.

“Many times patients have a lot of medications to keep straight,” Smerz said. “This packaging makes it easier to take your medicine at the right time and at the right dosage. So patients feel better and function better.”

Each Dispill pack has 28 individual blisters with a person’s prescribed medication for a specific time and date – also helpful for PLACES staff charged with medication monitoring, Craig said.

“This collaboration is helping PLACES provide efficient, coordinated services and more positive health and mental health options for our clients and tenants,” he said.  

Smerz agreed. “The more we collaborate, the better it is for the people we serve,” she said.

 

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