Building a Medication Access Hub Inside an Active Clinic

Phasing, Privacy, and Workflow for Patient Assistance Programs

Healthcare renovation isn’t only about exam rooms and finishes. Clinics are increasingly carving out space for the “paperwork layer” of care: enrollment, document collection, follow-ups, and coordination that helps patients stay on therapy.

That’s where a Medication Access Hub (sometimes called a patient navigation or assistance suite) comes in. It’s not a pharmacy and it’s not a rehab program. It’s an operational area where staff (or a partner program) helps patients complete the forms and steps required to access brand-name medications through manufacturer Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) and other affordability pathways. Services like The Rx Advocates are built around this kind of advocacy and paperwork support.

From a commercial construction perspective, these hubs are “small footprint, high impact”: modest square footage, but heavy privacy requirements, lots of tech, and big workflow implications. Here’s a construction-minded playbook for building or renovating one inside an active clinic or medical office without disrupting patient care.

1) Map the workflow before you draw the walls

Designing this like a generic admin office is how you get a pretty room nobody uses. A medication access hub has a specific rhythm:

• Patient referral → navigator intake
• Document capture (IDs, income verification, insurance details)
• Calls with physician offices and program administrators
• Scanning, uploading, secure storage, renewals

Do a short workshop with operations leadership and ask:

• How many private conversations happen per day?
• What’s the average interaction length?
• What equipment is non-negotiable (scanner/printer, lockable storage)?
• What can be handled remote vs. on-site?

Those answers determine whether you need one consult room and one desk—or multiple enrollment stations plus phone booths.

2) Build real privacy: acoustics, sightlines, and “no shoulder-surfing”

These spaces deal with sensitive health and financial information, so privacy isn’t “nice to have.”

Details that matter:

• Solid-core doors and seals on consult rooms
• Sound-rated partitions (or at least smart acoustic treatment)
• Screen placement that blocks passersby
• A short queue that doesn’t force patients to share information in public
• Frosted film or controlled glazing where visibility is needed

If full separation isn’t possible, install one or two compact “phone consult” booths. It’s cheap insurance.

3) Spec the tech backbone like a mini call center

Medication access is paperwork + communication. A hub short on outlets and data drops becomes a spaghetti mess fast.

Plan early for:

• Plenty of power (printers/scanners are hungry)
• Robust Wi-Fi plus hardwired stations where reliability matters
• Extra data ports (you’ll always need more later)
• A defined document workflow (scan-to-EHR/portal, or secure cloud)

Treat it like a high-uptime admin function, not “just another office.”

4) Get the adjacency right: close enough to be used, separated enough to work

The hub needs to be near the front desk/check-in so referrals actually happen. It also needs quick access to providers for signatures and clarifications.

But it should be buffered from the noisiest public circulation. A common sweet spot is “just behind reception,” with a controlled path to private consult rooms.

Also think about after-hours access. Renewals and follow-ups often happen outside peak patient hours, so controlled access can keep the clinic secure while admin work continues.

5) Renovate while staying open: phase like the clinic can’t stop (because it can’t)

Most medical offices can’t shut down, and this build-out shouldn’t crater appointments.

Phasing tactics that consistently work:

• Swing space model: convert a conference room into a temporary hub, renovate the permanent space cleanly, then move back.
• Night/weekend heavy work: demo, coring, shutoffs, and tie-ins outside patient hours.
• “Clean first” turnover: finish, deep-clean, then occupy—avoid half-finished “live” space.

Don’t skip the life-safety basics during phased work:

• Temporary egress routes and signage
• ADA paths maintained
• Fire-rated assemblies protected when you open walls

6) Control dust, odors, and noise like a healthcare project

Patients notice construction immediately, even if they never see the work zone.

Baseline controls:

• Sealed containment barriers
• HEPA filtration and frequent housekeeping at transitions
• Scheduled high-noise windows coordinated with operations
• Low-VOC products where feasible (and ventilation that actually clears fumes)

You’re protecting more than finishes—you’re protecting the patient experience during enrollment and consult calls.

7) MEP details that blow up small “converted” spaces

These hubs often end up in leftover areas (old storage, awkward corners). That’s where comfort and ventilation problems hide.

Plan for:

• Cooling capacity (small rooms overheat fast with people + equipment)
• Quiet mechanical systems (don’t stick consult rooms beside loud fan coils)
• Bright, low-glare task lighting for paperwork
• Basic verification of airflow and controls before turnover

8) Finishes: durable, cleanable, and calm

The goal is “welcoming but maintainable.” If it feels like a back-office DMV, patients disengage. If it’s too precious, it won’t survive.

Practical specs that usually win:

• LVT or high-performance carpet tile (maintenance + acoustics)
• Scrubbable paint and corner protection
• Solid counters at intake stations
• Simple wayfinding that reduces confusion

9) Make outside advocacy partnerships easy to run

Many clinics collaborate with advocacy services that help patients navigate PAP paperwork and follow-up. Your build-out should support that workflow with:

• Secure document exchange (scan station, locked storage, shredding)
• Private call space for patient/advocate conversations
• A clear referral path from check-in to navigator

Organizations such as The Rx Advocates focus on helping individuals apply for manufacturer PAPs and handling ongoing steps like follow-up and refill coordination. When the space supports that process, the clinic’s staff load drops, and patients get a smoother experience.

Bottom line

A Medication Access Hub is a commercial construction serving operations: privacy, tech, and workflow intensity in a compact footprint. Get the adjacency right, build in real acoustic privacy, over-spec the tech backbone, and phase the work like the clinic can’t stop.

Do that, and you deliver something more valuable than a renovated room: you deliver a system that helps patients access and stay on needed medications without turning the clinic into a paperwork factory.