Meds to Beds plus ED Meds to Beds
Authors: Stacey Tonitis and Kayla Kotch
The Meds to Beds service delivers discharge medications directly to patients in their hospital rooms before they leave for home.
This program enhances convenience, ensures timely access to prescribed medications, improves health outcomes, and significantly boosts patient satisfaction by removing barriers to care at a critical transition point.
In 2025, the program saw notable growth.
We expanded our service hours on weekdays and added Sunday coverage at Geisinger Medical Center and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, following a successful 2024 pilot at Geisinger Community Medical Center. We also launched a remote Meds to Beds service for Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital, supported by Geisinger Woodbine Outpatient Pharmacy.
The program expanded its reach within emergency departments (EDs) and began servicing Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital via curbside pickup through Geisinger Orwigsburg Outpatient Pharmacy.
Performance metrics for 2025 reflect the program’s continued success. Year-to-date system capture reached 59.6%, representing a 7.7% increase over 2024 and a 19.3% increase compared to 2023. So far this year, the program has served 31,787 patients and dispensed 93,198 prescriptions — demonstrating both scale and impact.
Looking ahead, we have several exciting developments planned. Delivery services to Geisinger St. Luke’s will be expanded from Orwigsburg, and remote services will be launched for Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital and Geisinger Behavioral Health, supported by Geisinger Buckhorn Outpatient Pharmacy. Additionally, we’re planning an opt-out model pilot at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, designed to streamline access and
further improve patient care by making medication delivery the default option.
As demand for Meds to Beds continues to grow, the pharmacy team remains committed to expanding services to meet patient needs. This commitment is especially evident in the ED Meds to Beds program, which provides 24/7 access to the most commonly prescribed medications. By enabling immediate access to essential medications, the program promotes adherence, reduces delays in treatment and helps prevent hospital readmissions.
Over the past year, pharmacy teams collaborated with other departments supporting emergency care to expand ED Meds to Beds services to 5 more campuses:
• Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre • Geisinger Lewistown Hospital • Geisinger Medical Center Muncy • Geisinger Medical Center • Geisinger Community Medical Center (non-24-hour) In total, ED Meds to Beds is now available at 6 campuses across the Geisinger system.
Key achievements for this service include the dispensing of over 13,000 prescriptions in calendar year 2025, with monthly volumes consistently exceeding the target of 2,000 prescriptions. Notably, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre set a campus record in June 2025, dispensing 811 prescriptions.
To further enhance the program in the coming year, we are preparing to introduce automated dispensing cabinets into the workflow. These cabinets will support faster, more efficient medication delivery and help scale the program to meet growing demand.
