Developing an effective medication soldier readiness process.

With the ever high operation tempo that our Armed Forces experience, it is imperative that military providers understand their soldiers' medication needs and how to ensure that those medications are properly processed by the supporting military pharmacy. Without a definitive plan, the surgeons responsible for soldiers' health will fail. This article outlines the experiences of the 4th Infantry Division and Darnall Army Community Hospital while preparing the 4th Infantry Division soldiers for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2005-2007. It details some important statistics that medical planners and unit surgeons can use when preparing their soldiers for deployment. Finally, we outline the lessons learned from this latest deployment and suggest components of an effective medication soldier readiness process.