VA Pharmacy change will reduce paperwork, better protect Veterans’ personal information
By David Walter, Public Affairs Specialist
The voluminous paperwork that comes with prescription medications issued by the Milwaukee VA Medical Center is going away. The move is expected to save time, money and better protect Veterans’ privacy.
Currently, pharmacy staffers are required to include with each prescription anywhere from two to six pages of medication information, which contains the patient’s address and other personal information.
But in August, the Milwaukee VA and its outpatient clinics in Green Bay and Appleton, will begin phasing out the paperwork. Instead, each prescription bottle will feature a QR code that will link to the medication information.
The QR codes will be phased in gradually, and the process should be fully implemented by September or October, said Karolyn Mosbacher, outpatient pharmacy supervisor for the Milwaukee VA.
Protecting patient health information, or PHI, is a big motivator for the change, Mosbacher said.
“The QR code specifically is not connected to any PHI — it’s only connected to the drug — so no patient information is embedded,” she said.
When the QR code is scanned via smartphone camera, Veterans will see all the information for the medication that was previously printed on the paper, except for their personal information. And they won’t be required to log into a website or create an account or profile.
Discarded papers
Plus, Mosbacher said Veterans sometimes discarded the paperwork haphazardly — it’s been found on the ground or in VA trash cans — which means anyone could pick it up.
“We’ve noticed over the years that patients complain (about the paperwork),” Mosbacher said. “We’ve had Veterans who take their bottle out of the bag then ask us if we can throw the paperwork away.”
Mosbacher said Veterans can request the paperwork for any prescription at any time if desired. “We can print it on demand,” she said.
“If they don’t have a smartphone, or they don’t feel comfortable using the link and they want the paperwork, we only need to click a button, and we can print it for them.”
Money-saving move
The move is also expected to save the Milwaukee VA money by reducing the amount of paper and copier toner used. Mosbacher said the VA in Asheville, N.C., has saved thousands of dollars since making the switch.
Considering that Milwaukee, Green Bay and Appleton filled more than 270,000 prescriptions in 2024, the cost savings could be significant, Mosbacher said.
Eighteen VAs across the country have made the switch, with few negative reviews, she said.
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said, noting Ashville has had only a couple of patients opt out so they can use the mail-back refill slips.
Only at VA pharmacies
The new process is only for prescriptions filled at the Milwaukee, Appleton and Green Bay pharmacies. Mail-order medications will still come with the paperwork, and as will prescriptions filled at independent pharmacies such as Walgreens or CVS (unless those companies offer a similar paperwork-reduction process).
While this is a big change, Mosbacher said many patients don’t read the paperwork. And soon, those who do can easily access it from anywhere.
“I think it’s going to be great,” Mosbacher said, noting that for inhalers, injectables and other similar products, the QR code will link to videos on how to use them. In addition, all medication information will be available in English and Spanish.
VA has contracted with Lumistry to provide the service.