Dave Smith > wrote:

>On 06/11/2011 4:18 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> Thanks. I think it's a little odd there's no discharge pharmacy
>> (by that I mean, one only for patients being discharged, not one
>> any out-patient can walk up to).

>There are no pharmacies like that in hospitals around here. There are
>usually 24 hour pharmacies close to the hospital where you can get a
>prescription filled but the pharmacies in the hospital are for admitted
>patients only.

Well, a patient being discharged had been admitted.

At my local Kaiser hospital, I think there is no possible path for a
patient being discharged from the ER or OR to exit other than by going
past the discharge pharmacy, and then through a one-way door to the
"discharge parking area" which is the only place persons with
vehicles are allowed to meet/pick up patients.

Some of this is for security reasons, since the discharge pharmacy
is by definition open 24 hours and well-stocked with painkillers.

Steve