Making room for the meds

Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Moore, 96th Medical Support Squadron, looks for a particular medication to fill a prescription at the satellite pharmacy at Eglin Air Force Base Aug. 20. The pharmacy is expanding 25 percent or 2,200 square feet to accommodate for new product and customer demand. The 96th MDS has said that during the renovation, there should be no delays in customer service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Craig McDonnell.)

Making room for the meds

Senior Airman Maya Rookard, 96th Medical Support Squadron, helps customers at the front counter of the satellite pharmacy at Eglin Air Force Base Aug. 20. The pharmacy is expanding 25 percent or 2,200 square feet to accommodate for new product and customer demand. The 96th MDS has said that during the renovation, there should be no delays in customer service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Craig McDonnell.)

Satellite pharmacy undergoes renovations

Published Aug. 21, 2009
By Samuel King Jr.
Team Eglin Public Affairs

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Eglin's satellite pharmacy located beside the base exchange is undergoing a major renovation to balance the space needed
to handle the workload.

The facility requires an additional 25 percent increase in square footage, according to 96th Medical Support Squadron.

The pharmacy will not see a lapse in customer service support and if there is a big project, it will be accomplished during holidays or down days to
minimize impact, according to Capt. David Welch, pharmacy officer-in-charge.

The pharmacy processes all refill and civilian prescriptions dispensing approximately 30,000 prescriptions a month. The pharmacy also houses a robot that automatically fills close to 250,000 refill prescriptions per year.

The expansion will add approximately 2,200 square feet to the building to provide storage space and improve customer access to the refill and
drive-through windows. The Opti-Fill robot will be moved as well to improve its proficiency.

"This project will convert an overcrowded facility running at near maximum capacity into a well equipped pharmacy with greatly expanded service
capabilities," said the captain. "Hopefully this comes as good news to the tens of thousands of civilian, active duty, and retirees we have the honor of serving."