LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Baptist Health, a health system headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and Parata Systems, a leading provider of pharmacy automation solutions for all pharmacy end-markets, announce that they are partnering to build a central fill mail-order and specialty pharmacy that will serve the entire nine-hospital system, which is the largest in Kentucky.
The Central Pharmacy Services Center will be built on the Baptist Health La Grange campus beginning in early March.
The Baptist Health family includes more than 400 points of care, including ten community pharmacies, a specialty pharmacy, outpatient facilities, physician practices and services, urgent care clinics, outpatient diagnostic and surgery centers, home care, fitness centers, occupational medicine, and physical therapy clinics.
Baptist Health has a significant opportunity to expand pharmacy services to its patients across Kentucky and southern Indiana and to centralize medication fulfillment will provide the infrastructure and resources to meet the needs of Baptist Health patients, employees, and families.
This service will enable convenient medication access for patients in urban and rural settings. By shipping medications directly to patients, the Central Pharmacy Services Center can accommodate increased volume and provide access to an even broader array of specialty medications through an expanded pharmacy accreditation process.
“We partnered with Parata Systems for our central pharmacy initiative as we think they will take us to the next level to improve quality, patient safety and efficiency,” said Nilesh Desai, chief pharmacy officer at Baptist Health.
The $40 million investment will get underway this year, with completion expected in the third quarter of 2024. Once installed and commissioned, the initial system will be capable of filling up to 8,000 prescriptions per 10-hour production shift, with built-in expansion points for higher volumes. The system can be scaled to fill up to 14,000 prescriptions per 10-hour day with the addition of incremental dispensers and workstations.
A level of customization unparalleled in the market characterizes Parata’s centralized fulfillment solution. Based upon analysis of Baptist Health’s business model, current volumes, and projected growth trends, Parata designed a customized solution to address Baptist Health’s requirements through a combination of tablet and container dispensing devices, conveyor, and workflow management systems.
“This project is Parata at its best,” said Brandon Hantle, vice president of health systems sales for Parata. “We are looking forward to building a strong partnership with Baptist Health as we move through the stages of this project. They are making an enormous investment in their future with this centralized fulfillment operation, and we are honored to be a part of it.”
Each Baptist Health hospital operates a community pharmacy that fills prescriptions for patients as they’re discharged and those who have not had a hospital stay but like the convenience and expertise offered by the Baptist Health pharmacy team. Once operational, the centralized facility will serve all Baptist Health hospitals, clinics, and pharmacy locations.
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