Discharge day should be the light at the end of the tunnel—for patients, families, and care teams. But in many hospitals, this final step drags on longer than it should. And more often than not, the culprit is a process that hasn’t changed in decades: the fax machine.
Manual prescription handling slows everything down. It creates delays, increases the risk of errors, and stresses already-stretched teams. At adherent360, we work with hospitals and health systems ready to replace outdated tools with a streamlined, more innovative approach, starting with a modern outpatient discharge medication service that keeps up with today’s pace of care.
The True Cost of Manual Prescription Processes
On the surface, faxing seems simple. But in practice, it adds layers of inefficiency that ripple across the care team. Here’s what happens:
- Patients wait—and wait.
Prescriptions are faxed to outpatient pharmacies, but verifications and clarifications create back-and-forth delays that leave patients in discharge limbo.
- Nurses are stuck –
While waiting for pharmacy callbacks, nurses can’t free up beds or move on to the next admission.
- Pharmacists lose valuable time –
Chasing down hard-to-read faxes removes them from clinical support and patient education.
- Errors sneak in –
Misread handwriting, incomplete forms, and miscommunication can all impact medication accuracy.
- Readmissions rise –
If patients don’t leave with meds—or don’t understand them—they’re more likely to bounce back.
It’s not just a matter of speed; it’s about safety, satisfaction, and workflow integrity.
A Better Alternative: Outpatient Discharge Medication Services
Such a service reimagines this entire process. Instead of a disjointed sequence of forms and phone calls, everything flows through a coordinated system designed to deliver medications and education before the patient ever walks out the door.
When put in action, this is what it looks like:
- Prescriptions are sent digitally—
No more faxing. Orders go straight from the EHR to the pharmacy system in real-time.
- Medications are delivered bedside –
Patients receive their discharge prescriptions while they’re still on the floor and any counseling they need.
- Insurance issues are handled early –
Coverage questions, prior authorizations, and payment options are resolved before patients leave.
- No hand-offs, no surprises –
The risk of patients missing doses or forgetting instructions plummets.
The approach is already showing results. Hospitals implementing structured discharge medication services consistently report shorter bed turnover times and lower 30-day readmission rates.
Where Automation Changes Everything
Introducing automated dispensing machines into the mix only strengthens the system. These machines eliminate the guesswork and manual handling that slow teams down. Think of them as an extra set of steady, always-on hands—and immensely helpful as you start to see:
- Fewer errors –
Barcode scanning ensures the right medication and dose reach the right patient.
- Real-time inventory updates –
The staff knows exactly what’s in stock, which avoids last-minute scrambles.
- Secure, trackable access –
Every transaction is logged, which keeps workflows compliant and audit-ready.
- Small space, big impact –
Dispensing machines can be installed near discharge units or outpatient pharmacies to speed up access.
With automation handling the logistics, pharmacists can focus on the clinical side of care—where they’re most needed.
Start Modernizing Your Discharge Workflow
You don’t need a massive system overhaul to see results. You can start by identifying the pressure points:
- Where are delays happening most often?
- Which teams are stuck waiting on others?
- Are patients leaving with what they need—or just hoping for the best?
Once you have a clear picture, you can layer in small changes: digital ordering, discharge med delivery, and, eventually, automated dispensing support.
Ready to Ditch the Fax?
Healthcare moves fast—your discharge process should, too. With a smarter system, you can confidently send patients home, free up your staff, and reduce unnecessary callbacks and readmissions.
adherent360 specializes in helping hospitals improve their workflows through integrated outpatient discharge medication services and reliable automated dispensing machines.
Let’s talk if your fax machine is still doing the heavy lifting at discharge.