Implementation and effectiveness of drive-through medication pick-up and home delivery services. A patient safety initiative during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction With the emergence of the first COVID-19 case in Saudi Arabia, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare has immediately executed the appropriate protocols in response to this severe global crisis. The pharmacy department at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare continues to play an essential role in providing the safest, efficient, and effective service to its eligible patients. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmacy department acted by implementing a drive-through pharmacy and home delivery services as new person-centered services to ensure patient safety. These two new services were initiated to protect both the pharmacist and the patient from COVID-19 infections as they ensure social distancing and reduce patients’ visits to the walk-in pharmacies, hence providing valuable and convenient services during this pandemic. Objective This article aims to describe the implementation processes and effectiveness of drive-through medication pick-up and home-delivery services as a patient safety initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method The implementation process of the drive-through and home delivery services are explained in detail. The utilization of these two services is evaluated by measuring the number of patients and prescriptions between April 2020 and August 2020. Result The increased utilization of drive-through medication pick-up and home delivery services in terms of the number of patients and prescriptions ensures patient safety by minimizing infection risk. Conclusion The increase in the utilization of drive-through medication pick-up and home delivery services reflects its successful implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both services meet the pandemic’s social-distancing requirements and minimize risks of infections, which will ensure patient safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.