Association of meds-to-beds delivery with fewer readmissions at an academic medical center

Purpose Published data have shown that meds-to-beds programs may improve patient satisfaction and generate revenue, but the results for readmissions have been mixed. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a meds-to-beds program on readmissions. Methods This single-center, retrospective cohort study, including adult patients discharged between January 1 and July 30, 2022, compared patients in a meds-to-beds program to patients who did not receive medications through the program. Patients who had data missing, were discharged from an intensive care unit, were not admitted to an inpatient unit, had a nonmedication discharge prescription, or were pregnant were excluded. Patients in the non–meds-to-beds group who filled their prescriptions at the institution’s outpatient pharmacy were also excluded. For the primary outcome, the rate of readmission to the emergency department (ED) or hospital within 30 days was modeled using logistic regression. Secondary outcomes included the rates of readmission within 7 days and 60 days, along with economic measures. Results A total of 768 patients were included in the study, with 384 patients in each group. A lower proportion of patients in the meds-to-beds group had a readmission within 30 days than those in the non–meds-to-beds group (13.3% vs 27.1%, respectively; P < 0.001). Patients in the meds-to-beds group also had a lower readmission rate at 7 days (P < 0.001) and 60 days (P = 0.001). The total marginal profit from the meds-to-beds program was $30,253 over a 7-month period. Conclusion The meds-to-beds program was associated with fewer readmissions to the ED or hospital within 7 days, 30 days, and 60 days and generated revenue for the institution’s outpatient pharmacy.