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Best-kept secret: MUSC's outpatient pharmacies
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A growing
minority of health care students misuse alcohol, and MUSC is
not alone in this trend. Results from national studies show that 10 to
20 percent of health care students drink heavily and either have or are
at risk forMUSC outpatient pharmacies offer employees and patients
convenience and cost-savings that they will not be able to get at other
places, said Leigh Howell of Pharmacy Services.
“MUSC has a tremendous resource that has been vastly underutilized,”
she said.
 Pharmacists Ashley
Ramsey, Don Neuroth and Rebecca Britton and Rebecca Sammarro fill
prescriptions at MUSC's outpatient pharmacy in Rutledge Tower.
Outpatient pharmacies are located in Rutledge Tower, Ashley River
Tower, University Hospital and Hollings Cancer Center. Employees
and their family members can get prescriptions at any of these
locations. Patients that have seen a MUSC doctor also can also
get their prescriptions filled on campus.
The physician may e-scribe or even tube prescriptions to the pharmacy,
so they can be ready when the patient arrives to pick up the
medications, Howell said. If there are problems with the prescription,
the pharmacist will page the physician and usually get an immediate
response. Outside retail pharmacies usually call the physician,
resulting in a much longer time to correct the issue.
Special discounts are available for employees with the State Health
Plan to make co-pay amounts even lower. The over-the-counter selection
may not be as extensive as other retail pharmacies, but the extremely
low prices make it worthwhile, she said.
She recommends checking out the list of medications and prices at any
of the outpatient pharmacies. The four-dollar generic program is
competitive with any chain pharmacy’s list and is available at http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/pharmacy_services/divisions/ambulatory/genmedpricing.htm.
All locations are on the merchant list for the medical spending
card. Patients and employees will no longer need to submit receipts for
their expenses when using their medical spending card.
Howell said there are several options available for patients or
employees without insurance. Some brand medications can be acquired at
a lesser price than the equivalent generic medication, so the
medication dispensed is actually the brand at a generic price.
Samples for some expensive medications, such as insulin, may be used
upon the doctor’s request. Prescription Assistance, located next door
to Rutledge Tower Pharmacy, can help patients who meet certain
financial qualifications get signed up to receive medications for free
directly from the manufacturer.
“The outpatient pharmacies of MUSC have the feel of an independent
pharmacy because of the friendly staff, recognition of repeat patients,
and accommodating atmosphere. Being a part of a major hospital allows
for lower prices and great doctor-pharmacy relationships to ensure
these pharmacies will be around for a long time to come.”
Friday, Sept. 10, 2010
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