There are now more Baptist outpatient pharmacies available to patients, team members and the public. To find out more, we talked with the new System Administrator for Pharmacy and Radiology Andreece Gandy. Keep reading to learn more about her and Baptist’s outpatient pharmacies.
How did you get into pharmacy?
I always wanted to be in health care. I knew that at a very early age. I didn’t know which area of health care I wanted to focus on, but when I was in college I participated in various summer programs that drew my interest in pharmacy.
After graduating with a degree in biology, I focused on pharmaceutical drug research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Then, I decided to focus on pursuing a degree in pharmacy and continuing my education, earning a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and, later, a Master of Business Administration.
I was fortunate to work at Baptist earlier in my career. I held a number of positions, including clinical/staff pharmacist, lead pharmacist, system Omnicell project lead and operations manager. Then, I rejoined Baptist last summer in my current role.
What sets Baptist pharmacies apart from others?
We prioritize personalized care. Our goal isn’t just centered on revenue. We aim to provide the highest quality care from the inpatient setting through outpatient services. Unlike many retail environments, our outpatient pharmacies offer a level of individualized attention that patients may not receive elsewhere.
How can Baptist team members and discharged patients benefit from filling prescriptions at Baptist outpatient pharmacies?
There are three ways that include three Cs — cost savings, convenience and continuity of care.
Often, a Baptist pharmacy is the most affordable option with the lowest co-pay for team members.
Convenience is another great benefit. Team members can pick up prescriptions on their break or before or after work. For discharge patients, we have a convenient Meds to Beds Program, available at some outpatient pharmacies. Meds to Beds allows us to deliver filled prescriptions to patients at discharge, so when they leave, they have their prescriptions in hand and don’t have to worry about stopping at another pharmacy on the way home. This is a type of “white glove” service that can put patients at ease.
When patients are discharged from the hospital, outpatient surgery or the Emergency department, they have the option to use our Meds to Beds Program at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Booneville, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Calhoun, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County and Mississippi Baptist Medical Center. We’re expanding this program as well, so more locations will be available in the future.
And now the final “C” I mentioned earlier: continuity of care. We talked about the personalized care we offer, and that includes continuity of care. Our outpatient pharmacies use Epic to see up-to-date health information, which allows for seamless care between our clinics, hospitals and pharmacies. Our outpatient pharmacists also have relationships with Baptist providers and can easily communicate with them if needed and quickly resolve prior authorizations and other barriers to filling prescriptions.
Please tell us about the new outpatient pharmacies.
Our newest outpatient pharmacies are located inside Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville and Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto. They both opened in January.
Baptist is continuing to work toward offering outpatient pharmacies at additional hospitals. We will open an outpatient pharmacy at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women and the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital in March of this year. In fiscal year 2027, we plan to open outpatient pharmacies at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County and NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital.
Do most Baptist hospitals have outpatient pharmacies?
Yes. Our Baptist outpatient pharmacy hospital locations include Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center, Baptist Booneville, Baptist Calhoun, Baptist Collierville, Baptist DeSoto, Baptist Golden Triangle, Baptist Memphis, Baptist North Mississippi, Baptist Union County and Mississippi Baptist Medical Center.
We also have outpatient pharmacies at some clinics, including Baptist Medical Group-East Memphis, Baptist Medical Group-West Massey and Baptist Medical Group-Wolf River.
How can a team member get started with filling prescriptions at a Baptist outpatient pharmacy?
It’s easy — go to the pharmacy, just like anywhere else. Bring your prescriptions and get added to the system or request a prescription transfer. You can also call the pharmacy. Please refer to the outpatient pharmacy map included in this article for phone numbers and addresses.
Anyone can fill their prescription at a Baptist pharmacy. Team members can fill prescriptions for family members even if they aren’t a member of a Baptist health plan. Baptist pharmacies accept a variety of health insurance plans.
Baptist Specialty Pharmacy is our specialty pharmacy, and it is available for medications that require an increased level of patient management.
For help on getting started filling prescriptions at an on-campus Baptist pharmacy, email Benefits@bmhcc.org. Baptist Mail Order Pharmacy is also available for Tennessee and Mississippi residents. Email MailOrder@bmhcc.org or call 901-226-1750 to start.
With the new locations opening, we’re looking forward to sharing the benefits of Baptist outpatient pharmacies with more team members. It’s an exciting time!
