Vet News: VA Consolidated Mail-out Pharmacy Enhanced

WASHINGTON -- With mail-out pharmaceuticals for Veterans already a $3 billion annual operation for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the department made a major expansion in its future capability with the dedication June 11 of a new building and improved production system for the Dallas VA Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy.

“VA’s mail-out pharmacies provide convenient, world-class service to Veterans through state-of-the art processing of prescriptions for our patients,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “These pharmacies are another solid example of VA leading the health care industry toward improved patient care.”

VA opened its first mail-out pharmacy in 1994. The seven existing mail-out pharmacies have become valuable partners in VA’s total health care program for Veterans.

With an annual budget of $3 billion, these pharmacies dispense 75 percent of all VA prescriptions. Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacies will handle nearly 100 million prescriptions this year, a quadrupling of service compared to the 25 million prescriptions dispensed 10 years ago. Most pharmaceuticals are mailed within 48 hours of the mail-out pharmacy receiving the prescription.

VA mail-out pharmacies begin processing pharmaceuticals after downloading electronic prescriptions from VA health care providers. Medicines are mailed directly to patients.

VA’s seven consolidated mail-out pharmacies are in Boston; Charleston, S.C.; Chicago; Dallas; Leavenworth, Kan.; Nashville, Tenn., and Tucson, Ariz.

SOURCE: US Department of Veterans Affair