Naval Hospital Pensacola's Pharmacy will begin phase two of its remodeling project on Dec. 10.

The remodeling will improve the waiting area and the overall Pharmacy experience for patients at one of the Navy's busiest pharmacies.

Naval Hospital Pensacola's Pharmacy fills approximately 3,000 prescriptions a day and supports 10 branch clinics located across five states. The renovation project started in the spring of 2018 and is scheduled to be complete in the summer or fall of 2019. Once complete, patients will have an upgraded and remodeled waiting area and two additional Pharmacy windows for patient services.  

"In addition to a remodeled waiting area, the Pharmacy will have two more windows added that will improve the workflow," said Lt. Cmdr. William Martin, department head for the NHP Pharmacy. "Our goal is to minimize wait times as much as possible."

A portion of the current waiting area will not be available for use during phase two of the remodeling, but additional seating will be available in the Comprehensive Women's Health Center located next to the Pharmacy. Patients sitting in that area will still be able to hear ticket numbers and will have a monitor displaying ticket numbers in that area.

"We will do everything we can to make visiting the Pharmacy during the remodeling as smooth as possible," said Capt. Michael Allanson, director for clinical support services.  "We will have additional seating areas and temporary pick-up windows at the desk as you come in the Pharmacy entrance."

Martin also recommends patients take advantage of the several options available when picking up a new or refill prescription at the NHP Pharmacy. Instead of waiting for the prescription, patients can choose to activate a new prescription at the first window and return to the Pharmacy after two hours or the next business day to pick it up. New prescriptions can also be sent to the Satellite Pharmacy where it will be available the next business day after 1 p.m. The Satellite Pharmacy is located next to the

Commissary and has a drive-thru window. 

For refills, patients can choose to pick-up their medication at the Satellite Pharmacy online with TRICARE Online or when using the automated refill phone line at 888-513-4164 or 850-505-6459.   If patients choose to pick-up their refills at the Pharmacy at NHP, the prescription can be picked-up up at Window 6 without a ticket as long as it's an existing refill and not a new refill updated by a provider.   The average time for a refill is approximately five days.

"Patients are encouraged to take advantage of these options during the remodeling process to help reduce their time at the Pharmacy," said Martin. 

In addition to the waiting area and more windows, the Pharmacy will also receive several upgrades behind the scenes like a new high capacity shelving system and an upgraded phone system to make it easier for patients to call the Pharmacy. 

"The remodeling process has caused some inconvenience to our patients and staff, but the upgrades will improve the process at the Pharmacy and will improve the patient experience," said Allanson.  "We appreciate everyone's patience as we make these upgrades."

The NHP Pharmacy is open Monday - Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.  The Satellite Pharmacy located next to the Commissary is open Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The drive thru at the Satellite Pharmacy opens at 8 a.m. Monday - Saturday.

Established in 1826, Naval Hospital Pensacola's mission is to deliver high quality health care to ensure a medically ready force and a ready medical force through strategic partnerships and innovation. The command is comprised of the main hospital and 10 branch health clinics across five states. 

To find out more, visit http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/pcola/Pages/default.aspx or download the command's mobile app (keyword: Naval Hospital Pensacola).

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