Prominent grocery chain and hospital team up to deliver prescriptions bedside

VENICE — A prominent grocery store chain and hospital are teaming up to deliver prescription medications to patients directly to their bedside. 

Publix and Sarasota Memorial Hospital — Venice will make the delivery before a patient is discharged. The hospital, which opens in November, will give patients the option to take part in the delivery service free of charge. A press release states the new service is designed to ease a patient’s transition from being in the hospital to going home. 

“Publix Pharmacy is always looking for ways to provide premier service to our customers, whether it’s inside our stores or through collaborations with local hospitals,” says Publix VP of pharmacy Dain Rusk in the release. “Providing bedside delivery to Sarasota Memorial Hospital – Venice will give patients the opportunity to conveniently obtain the medications they need before leaving the hospital.”

The bedside delivery service will be provided at select hospital locations. The Plaza Venezia Publix, across the street from the new hospital on Laurel Road, will handle insurance authorizations and fill the order before delivering it directly to the patient or the nursing unit. 

“The bedside delivery program helps ensure a smooth transition of care from hospital to home,” says Sarasota Memorial Hospital – Venice Campus President Sharon Roush. “Having prescriptions delivered directly to patients in the hospital allows them to go straight home, rather than stop at a pharmacy, which reduces the risk of delays and missing a dose at home.”