Frequently Asked Questions for Our Pharmacy in Jackson, TN

No, we are not open to the public as a retailer.  We are sorry for any inconvenience.  We only serve to individuals which are under the care of an assisted/supported living agency so that we may focus on catering to the needs of these individuals and agency staff.

Yes.  Staff may drop off cycle routine pill packs and let us know the date and time range that needs to be in the vacation pack.

Yes.  We are here Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm (closed between 1pm to 2pm for lunch) and have a drive through window and a waiting lobby inside front door also.  We will make a copy of the prescription for you, fill the order, print monograph/side effect sheet, provide a cut out of drug info with directions along with blank MAR if needed.

Any pills that are taken on a routine basis are packed monthly the 1^st through 30^th , 31^st or depending on how many days are in the month we are filling.  Agency may contact pharmacy to request a different frequency cycle fill if needed.

Yes.  We are not allowed to fill controlled/narcotics ahead of time per DEA laws.  Also, there are several manufacturers that require certain meds to be dispense only in the original package/container.  And any birth control pills, bulk items such as powders, eye drops, creams, liquids and PRN orders will not be with the delivered cycle fill.  We may deliver or staff may pick up these special items upon fill due dates.

We will sort everything in order of your requested preference.  Typically, each individual patient has a bag that contains their med packs which are sorted in order as listed on their MAR in the bag.  Then the patient’s bagged meds are packed in a box/tote together with roommates and/or with other patients under the staff and/or nurse’s caseload.  Please feel free to contact pharmacy to let us know your requested sorting preference that will benefit your caseload workflow. 

It may vary but usually around the middle to the 25th of the month.  Agencies may contact the pharmacy to request any certain time of day and any date, whether it be earlier or later than the usual delivery time, that is preferred for their workload schedule.

Yes.  We will contact your prescriber anytime whether we need a prescription refill update, clarification, diagnosis or medication change.  We will also help you with selecting a Medicare part D insurance plan with your request approval.

Sometimes, people may have allergic reactions to medications. The symptoms can range from mild itching, hives, or watery eyes to wheezing, shortness of breath, or life-threatening anaphylaxis. Depending on the severity of your adverse reaction, you should call 911 or seek urgent care. If you’re only experiencing milder symptoms, contact your doctor or pharmacist for instructions.

Also let the agency nurse and pharmacy know of the allergy, so the patient’s file may be updated to flag an alert to prevent allergic medications or similar from being filled again.

You shouldn’t ever flush unused medications down a sink or throw them away in the garbage. This could clog your drains, or someone else could fish them out of your trash. The preferred disposal method for expired or unused medications is to take them to your local pharmacy. We will accept any pills to dispose for you but we recommend contacting your agency nurse for specific instructions on disposing of controlled/narcotic substances.

Because needles can be hazardous to handle, it’s recommended you use a puncture-proof container with a lid to dispose of them. We offer sharps containers and safe needle clip devices for their proper disposal, but you could also try using a metal coffee container or laundry detergent bottle with a lid. Your city, county, or state may have specific guidelines for home needle disposal. Contact your local health department or hazardous waste management on the best disposal method.

Some medications may be crushed to make swallowing easier for the patient, but some may not. Certain medications may not work how intended if you alter how they’re released in the body. Many tablets and capsules have extended-release or long-acting designs, meaning they must be released slowly throughout the day. When you crush or chew them, it immediately releases them.

Many medications also feature special coatings to keep them intact until your stomach’s acids should absorb them. These coatings are often there to keep them from irritating your stomach or to prevent you from tasting their bitterness. Always consult your pharmacist or physician before attempting to crush medications, as there is a fairly extensive list of medications that should not be crushed or chewed.  You may search your web browser for a list of meds not to crush here:  https://www.ismp.org/recommendations/do-not-crush

We, the pharmacy, need: 

• Original Rx
• Copy of Medical Encounter/Consult Form
• Staff contact name and phone number
• Any meds returned if discontinued or changed

The agency staff needs:

• Copy of Rx
• Original of Medical Encounter/Consult Form
• Filled Rx med
• Monograph/Side effect sheet
• Cut out of med and directions for MAR along with blank MAR if needed
• If filled Rx med is a controlled/narcotic then the agency staff need extra Rx label for narcotic sheet

It will vary depending on how many individuals are in your agency that need medications.  The best scenario is to start much earlier than planned switch date so that demographics may be loaded into our database and also preferably a current med list on each individual.  Then let us know your target switch date and we will contact prescribers to get signed Rx orders in a sufficient time frame.

Yes.  We offer a program that allows you to connect to see status of med orders, submit reorder refill requests, add/edit patient information, print different types of reports such as MARs, monographs and other reports.

We also are able to connect with 60 plus different types of eHR/eMAR programs.

Please feel free to contact us with more information about interfacing together.