(File photos) Pharmacy technicians fill prescriptions at the National Naval Medical Center’s pharmacy. Patrons should expect minor delays when filling perscriptions during the renovation period.

The renovation project began earlier this month and is scheduled to be completed by April 17, said Lt. Susan Sparks, special projects manager for NNMC’s pharmacy.

‘‘We are completely redoing the interior [of the pharmacy],” Sparks said.

The outpatient pharmacy, located on the second level of Building 9, is being renovated from the front to back, including the storage area, the refill section and the frontline operations area.

Patient privacy panels will be added to the front windows of the pharmacy, Sparks said. In addition, medications have been relocated to the front of the pharmacy to give pharmacy staff members a shorter walking distance when filling prescriptions.

The changes are expected to improve the pharmacy’s workflow, she said. Since the beginning of the year, the pharmacy has filled an average of about 13,000 prescriptions each week, Sparks said.

To keep the renovation project moving forward, construction is taking place on the weekends and during off-peak hours. The pharmacy is open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. Inpatient pharmacy services will not be impacted by these renovations.

Patients might notice some minor delays in wait time over the next few weeks because of the renovations, Sparks said, but in the end, the pharmacy will be able to better serve patients. To help cut down wait time, patients are encouraged to refill their prescriptions over the phone or online, then pick them up at the Satellite Refill Trailer, which is in the E parking lot near Building 142.

For more information, contact the outpatient pharmacy service at 301-295-2113 or 301-319-4432.