EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. — CareOne and Walgreen Co. have partnered on program to provide day-of-discharge medications to patients before they leave its senior care centers and return home.
The senior health care provider said Thursday that under the initiative, patients can elect to have Walgreens deliver the medications directly to them before they’re discharged from a CareOne center.
Plans call for a pilot of the program to start this month at the CareOne facility in East Brunswick, N.J., which will work with the Walgreens on-site pharmacy at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J.
CareOne noted that the program will enable its clinicians to educate patients and their caregivers before they return to the community.
"This new program will allow us to spend time with patients to help them understand what medications they are supposed to take, and why," Mary Ann Barbato, administrator at the East Brunswick CareOne. "Our program with Walgreens helps our patients get their medications before they go home. That means no delay or interruption in patient care."
Typically, CareOne said, patients must get their own medications after they’re discharged from an acute care hospital or a rehabilitation center — placing a burden on patients and family members and raising the risk of misunderstandings and failure to comply with medication regimens.
"We think this is a great program to improve medication adherence and patient teaching at a critical time in a patient’s recovery," stated John Colaizzi, district pharmacy supervisor at Walgreens. "Walgreens is excited to collaborate with CareOne on this innovative program. We are confident it will lead to better outcomes for patients in our shared community."
CareOne operates 29 centers throughout New Jersey and is a leading provider of post-hospital care, long-term care and rehabilitation services in the state.
"Health care providers are increasingly being challenged to find creative ways to improve outcomes for patients," commented Tim Hodges, chief strategy officer for CareOne.
