Wegmans seeks to reduce paper usage for prescriptions

ROCHESTER, N.Y. Wegmans’ SVP of consumer affairs Mary Ellen Burris on Sunday noted that Wegmans pharmacies are losing a significant amount of paper weight in her weekly online blog.

Wegmans pharmacies are eliminating pharmacy prescription information sheets for all refills, she noted, which would more or less result in 10 million fewer printouts each year.

“That’s the scoop on … you know, the enclosure with every single prescription that you probably don’t even read while you’re throwing it away,” she wrote. “Now, there are some you should read … a first time prescription, for instance. However, after you understand the precautions, use, side effects, drug interactions and storage (my favorite, for a recently prescribed drug: “do not store in the bathroom” which is where I keep all medical stuff) … such information is typically not really needed for refills.”

Completing implementation of new pharmacy software made it possible, Burris noted, making pharmacy prescription information sheets for refills, which consist of about 50% of the prescriptions filled at Wegmans, obsolete.

Essential information is still printed with each prescription filled, however.