Pharmacy Innovation at Charles George VA

The team’s efforts illustrate how frontline staff, using the principles of innovation, can spot problems, test solutions and spread what works across the system—ultimately changing what a typical day feels like for a Veteran.

One powerful example of this mindset is the work of Dr. Neel Naik, a VA Pharmacist whose projects demonstrate how a single idea can grow into meaningful change for Veterans. During his clinical rotations in 2019, Dr. Naik introduced a dashboard to optimize tablet splitting to the VHA Innovation Ecosystem, sparking a series of practical, technology-driven solutions aimed at improving patient safety and enhancing the Veteran experience. For an individual Veteran, that can mean safer doses, fewer medication errors and greater confidence in the care they receive.

VEText pharmacy enhancements: Keeping Veterans informed

Dr. Naik enhanced VEText, VHA’s messaging platform, by adding shipment notifications with tracking numbers so Veterans receive real-time updates on mailed medications. For many Veterans, that means less anxiety about whether medications are on the way, fewer phone calls to check on status and a better ability to plan around refills. Shipment notifications from Centralized Mail Order Pharmacy centers are expected to roll out across the system by late 2026, so more Veterans will be able to see exactly when to expect their prescriptions and avoid gaps in therapy.

Building on that success, Dr. Naik introduced VEText window pick-up notifications to alert Veterans when prescriptions are ready at the pharmacy. In practical terms, a Veteran no longer needs to wait in line just to find out a prescription isn’t ready yet—they can come in when they know it is waiting for them. This innovation quickly spread to more than 50 VHA pharmacies in its first year, underscoring how clear communication and small workflow changes can make access easier, save time and reduce frustration. Together, these enhancements highlight how any staff member can look at routine processes and ask, “How could this be simpler and clearer for Veterans?”—and then act on the answer.

OPAI Supplemental: Solving a long-standing safety challenge

Dr. Naik’s latest innovation, the OPAI Supplemental interface, now in testing, alerts staff to discontinued prescriptions, addressing a long-standing safety concern and helping ensure Veterans receive only the medications they need. For a Veteran, that translates to fewer chances of taking outdated or discontinued medications, less confusion about which prescriptions to keep using and a stronger sense that the health care team is watching closely for their safety. This project reflects a core principle of innovation: identifying recurring risks in day-to-day work and designing tools that make the safer choice the easier choice, directly improving the Veteran’s sense of trust in their care.

Facilitating nationwide innovation

Beyond his own projects, Dr. Naik supports the nationwide diffusion of innovation, including a Columbus VA project now in more than 80 pharmacies that has cut prescription fill times by 10 percent. For Veterans, that kind of improvement can mean shorter wait times at the pharmacy window, quicker access to needed medications after clinic visits and a smoother overall experience during their time at the medical center. By championing and sharing successful ideas, he helps ensure that effective solutions do not stay “local” but become national assets that benefit Veterans everywhere. His example reinforces a key mindset for all VA staff: adopt, adapt and share what works so that a Veteran in one facility can benefit from great ideas developed at another.

“I consider myself to be a data guy,” said Dr. Naik. “ Actually, I just enjoy it, I love getting access to existing systems and seeing what else we can get them to do, especially when there is a real world problem to solve to make our service to Veterans better.”

A culture and legacy of innovation

From student projects to national-scale initiatives, Dr. Naik’s work at the Charles George VA highlights how Human Centered Design and innovation principles empower front-line employees to discover unmet needs, co-design with Veterans and staff, test ideas early, and scale what works. His work with the Innovation Ecosystem has demonstrated how employees can meaningfully improve efficiency, trust, and safety across VA health care. These innovations show up in everyday touchpoints: receiving an intuitive text reminder, getting the right medications at the right time, or spending less time waiting and more time on what matters most. This spring, as he joins the North Texas VA Health Care System as the Medication Safety Program Manager, he will continue championing a culture of discovery and continuous improvement—encouraging teams across VA health care to spot opportunities, design creatively, and build experiences that elevate the Veteran journey at every step.