Pharmacy often first stop from hospital to home

More and more, retail pharmacy is playing a critical role in the transition of care from hospital to home, as outlined in a “Transitions in Care” special report published by Drug Store News last fall. As many as 35.1 million patients are discharged from hospitals each year, and two-thirds of those patients go directly to their private homes. Currently, as many as 20% of those patients are readmitted to the hospital less than 30 days after their release.

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And while pharmacists are naturally equipped to help boost medication adherence in patients just released from hospitals, and thereby drive down the number of readmissions, there also is a niche opportunity across the front end of those pharmacies that could likewise reduce the number of hospital readmissions. Sales of first-aid treatments were up 3.8% to $1.5 billion for the 52 weeks ended March 20 across U.S. multi-outlets, according to IRI.



Retail pharmacy often is the first stop for patients on their way home from the hospital. To help meet that niche need, Cardinal Health last year released a line of more than 165 home health products called Hospital Quality at Home — products specifically designed to help caregivers make that transition from the hospital to home.