PHARMACY: REGIONAL CHAINS
Committed to the Community
Patient-centric regional pharmacies play an important role in many small towns and communities throughout the United States By Carol Radice
As the overall number of pharmacies continues to dwindle, some regions have not only survived during these turbulent times but have managed to stand out among the crowd. What is the common denominator they share? They are relentlessly focused on helping their patients achieve better health outcomes. COVID-19 has highlighted the fact that local community pharmacies were uniquely positioned to step in and offer vaccines and other related services. Regional pharmacies, with their strong ties to the community, established trust and familiarity with the neighborhoods they operate in, which helped encourage many people who might not have otherwise obtained COVID-19
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vaccination. Moreover, during this time, many pharmacists and their staff eagerly traveled to nursing homes and long-term care and mental health facilities in their communities to administer the shots. Jeremy Faulks, vice president of pharmacy operations at Thrifty White Pharmacy based in Plymouth, Minn., said his company’s focus on driving clinical engagement is a key factor in its success over the years. “We believe it’s imperative to leverage the patient-pharmacist relationship beyond traditional dispensing, and our strategies align to unlock this potential, through providing clinical services, closing gaps in care and delivering better quality care to our
March 2022 DRUGSTORENEWS.COM
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