Expansion of pharmacy services in a mental health center

This article describes a system redesign initiated at the Connecticut Mental Health Center which enabled the pharmacists to release approximately 20 hours per week. This time was reallocated to improve and expand pharmacy services. Also described is the effect of this system improvement on physicians, clinicians, and patients and on the ability to identify first-stage noncompliance in patients who are part of the medication maintenance program. The value of system redesign in improving and expanding services in an era of cost containment is discussed.