OBJECTIVE: Drug delivery delays are a recurring management issue that causes costly disruptions in hospital work flow. This project examines reported delivery time from the hospital pharmacy to the hospital outpatient department where the drug or biologic is to be administered. The focus is upon drugs that are expensive, that require reconstitution and that are often prepared only after notification that the patient has arrived. METHODS: Data were collected from 54 hospital pharmacies, including on-site observations of pharmacy activities and related infusion therapy in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) in 19 states (n=24) and from a telephone survey of other hospital DOPs located in 17 states (n=30). Survey instruments were pretested. The sampling frame was a broad-based convenience sample. Facility-specific data were entered into a database and matched with facility demographics retrieved from a government database. Unit of analysis was the pharmacy. Statistical analysis yielded descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The on-site observers determined that those HOPDs that delivered the drug to be infused from the main pharmacy (54.2%) incurred a statistically significant mean wait time of 37.5 minutes. The remaining facilities (45.8%) incurred negligible wait times because the drug was reconstituted adjacent to or on site. Respondents to the telephone survey reported a 17.4 minute mean delivery time regardless of pharmacy location. Tasks contributing to wait time included mixing, dispensing and transporting. Delivery was made by pharmacy technicians in 80.8% of facilities and by specially designated transport staff provided by the pharmacy department in 19.2% of the facilities surveyed. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital pharmacy decision-makers need actionable information in order to better manage drug delivery delays that disrupt work flow and decrease patient satisfaction. This study provides detailed activity analysis information and process mapping that can be readily applied to facility-specific relevant pharmacy staffing and management decisions.