Care coordination
A patient came to the pharmacy earlier in the week asking if we had received an eye drop prescription for her upcoming cataract surgery scheduled for Tuesday. We had no record of it and advised her to follow up with her clinic. When she returned a few days later, still without the prescription, she didn’t know which doctor or clinic was managing her surgery—only that she needed to start antibiotic eye drops by Sunday. She asked if we could track down the prescription on her behalf, as the scheduling of her surgery had already been delayed.
I began calling the local clinics that typically handle cataract surgeries. The receptionist at the primary clinic where most surgeries occur found it odd the patient had little information and suggested I try the other main clinic. That clinic was closed by the time I reached out. After several calls, I located the clinic responsible, which then sent the prescription just one day before the surgery. Despite instructions that eye drops should start two days prior, they advised the patient to begin using the drops immediately, given the uncertainty about when a future surgery date would be confirmed.
By reaching out to multiple clinics and clarifying the situation, I was able to ensure the patient received her medication in time to follow her preoperative instructions.
Because of a pharmacist, something important happened.
