Coronavirus Groton: SUBASE Pharmacy Moves To Curb-Side Service

GROTON, CT — Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Unit Groton, the 'clinic,' on SUBASE has moved to a “curb-side” pharmacy service as a recent COVID-19 mitigation effort.

Earlier referred to as “drive-thru,” and now as “curb-side”, the Clinic’s new pharmacy measure is really a hybrid social distancing procedure aimed at reducing unnecessary patron entry into the care facility.

“The process aids in social distancing and protects patients and staff members by keeping pharmacy patrons out of the waiting room,” explains the Clinic Pharmacy Director.

The “curb-side” steps include:

1) Screening Tent Ticket Acquisition. After a patron parks in the Clinic parking lot, they should proceed to the Screening Tent at the Clinic entrance. The patron will be screened by a corpsman, who will then get them a ticket from the pharmacy kiosk.

2) Telephonic Initial Interview. After receiving a pharmacy kiosk ticket from the screening corpsman, the patron should return to their vehicle and await a call on their mobile phone from a pharmacy technician. The pharmacy technician will conduct a telephonic version of the initial interview normally done when coming to the pharmacy window.

3) Telephonic Prescription Review. The pharmacy technician will then process the patron's prescriptions and call the patron again to review the medications and any instructions and warnings.

4) Proceeding to the Curb. After the pharmacy technician reviews the medications and any instructions and warnings, the patron will then be asked to drive to the roundabout in front of the Clinic. Once there, the patron will show their ID to a corpsman who will deliver their medications.

5) Prescription Verification and Departure. While the corpsman is there, the patron is advised to open their bag(s) and perform one final check of the medications inside. Once the patron verifies the correctness of the medications, they are free to continue with their day.

As the process involves at least two calls from the pharmacy, the Clinic Pharmacy Director highlights that it is very important for patrons to have a mobile phone and be ready to answer their phone during this curb-side process.

Additionally, patrons should know what medications they are picking up from the pharmacy, not only for themselves, but also for their family.

The Clinic remains open Monday – Friday, 0730-1600 (4 p.m.). There are currently no Pharmacy Services on Saturdays.