BOARDMAN TWP., Ohio - Convenience is key and for patients being discharged from St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, complying with their doctors' orders could soon get even easier.  

Next month, Mercy Health will open its own ambulatory pharmacy inside of the Boardman hospital.

"Not only will it serve as a retail pharmacy to our outpatients, our emergency room patients, but really to anyone in the community," said St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital president Genie Aubel.

The new pharmacy will allow St. Elizabeth Boardman to launch a new program, Meds to Beds.  Patients who are discharged will be able to receive their medications at their bedside before heading home.

"Many times after a patient is discharged from our hospital, they don't take the time to stop at their pharmacy when they go home and our nurses call several days after they're discharged and many times the patients have no obtained their medications," said Mercy Health's chief pharmacy officer Barry Shick.

Across the nation, roughly 35% of hospitals operate a Meds to Beds program.  Research shows that it can help patients in their recovery, as well as reduce hospital readmissions.

On Friday, Mercy Health dedicated the new pharmacy.  It is named for Sister Margaret Mary Siegfried, who's served the Sisters of Humility of Mary for the past 75 years, 68 of which she worked as a pharmacist at St. Joseph Warren and St. Elizabeth Youngstown.