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The rationale for and implementation of a decentralized system for filling short-term discharge prescriptions are described. To prevent interruption of drug therapy, orders for three-day supplies of medications were filled in the outpatient pharmacy and returned to patients before discharge. Under the old system, more than 20% of medications ordered were not received by patients. Reasons for this problem were identified, and a new system was designed in which these discharge prescriptions were filled in satellite pharmacies. A follow-up study under the new system showed that only 1.5-3% of discharge medications were not received by patients and that patients' use of the discharge medication program was increased. Implementation of a decentralized discharge prescription program using the existing satellite pharmacies allowed increased efficiency in delivery of medications to patients at the time of their discharge from the hospital.