2026 Eastern States Conference

Title: Bridging the gap: Impact of discharge medication provision on psychiatric readmission rates 
  
Authors: Alexis Roman, PharmD; Madeline Corrao, PharmD; Sabra Douthit, PharmD 
 
Objective: Evaluate the impact of discharge medication delivery through a Meds to Beds (M2B) program, compared with patient pickup at a community pharmacy, on 30-day psychiatric hospital readmission rates. 

Self-Assessment Question: Which factor is most strongly associated with psychiatric hospital readmissions during transitions of care?
A. Short inpatient length of stay
B. Dose adjustments during hospitalization 
C. Medication nonadherence after discharge
D. Overuse of long-acting injectable therapies
  
Background: Psychiatric inpatients who receive discharge medications prior to leaving the facility experience significantly lower 30-day readmission rates than those discharged with prescriptions filled at an outside community pharmacy.  
 
Methods: This retrospective cohort study will use electronic medical record (EPIC) data to compare adult psychiatric inpatients discharged with medications through a Meds to Beds (M2B) program versus prescriptions filled at community pharmacies. Eligible patients will be ≥18 years old, admitted to Geisinger Behavioral Health Northeast, discharged on at least one medication, and have a primary psychiatric diagnosis; patients discharged to a state hospital or who expired within 30 days post‑discharge will be excluded. Data from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2025, will be analyzed (estimated n=200), with 30‑day psychiatric readmission as the primary outcome with 7‑ and 14‑day readmissions as secondary outcomes; descriptive statistics and comparative analyses (Fisher’s exact tests) will be performed. 
 
Results: A total of 200 patients were included (M2B n=130, community n=70). Thirty-day readmission rates were similar between groups (16.2% vs. 15.7%; RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.58-2.01; p>0.999). No meaningful differences were observed at 7 days (5.2% vs. 4.8%; RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.31-3.85) or 14 days (9.9% vs. 7.8%; RR 1.27, 95% CI 0.49-3.36). Overall event rates were low, resulting in wide confidence intervals and limited precision of estimates.

Conclusions: Meds to Beds was not associated with lower psychiatric readmission rates compared to community pharmacy pickup. These findings suggest medication delivery alone may have limited impact on readmissions and highlight the need to address broader factors influencing outcomes during transitions of care.