Independent operations fill pharmacy service gap
Walgreens, Rite Aid closures left some communities in bind
CDPHP purchased Hometown Healthcare pharmacy in Watervliet last November and is opening another pharmacy in Clifton Park in May in hopes of filling the pharmacy health care gaps in the communities left behind by the closures of Walgreens and Rite Aid shops.
Walgreens closed two locations last month, one on Broadway in Menands, which served an elderly population, and one on North Pearl Street in downtown Albany, which served a low-income population. The closures came after the closing of a Rite Aid on Ontario Street in Cohoes in May 2019 and the closing of a Rite Aid on South Pearl Street in Albany in 2018.
All of the closings have raised pharmacy desert concerns from community members, pharmacy academics, city officials and state legislators who worry that the closures are leaving communities without access to care during the pandemic, when pharmacists are providing more care than ever before.
CDPHP, an independent health insurance agency based in Albany, shares these concerns.
That is why they reached out to their members in Menands to tell them they purchased the Hometown Healthcare pharmacy located at 601 19th Street and are expanding the delivery service to reach any residents who live in Albany County, as well as portions of Schenectady County and western Rensselaer County.
CDPHP will be opening another location at 1785 Route 9 in Clifton Park starting May 3. Both locations, including the delivery service, are open to the public, not just CDPHP members.
“Over the years, the model of pharmacy businesses is changing to much more big box, much more high volume,” said Eileen Wood, the chief pharmacy officer of CDPHP. “And we know that that puts the pharmacist professional in a position where they can’t always talk to their patients or come out from behind the counter and be part of that equation that helps the members.”
“We are investing in this pharmacy because we really do want to use it as an incubator to change that model to a model where the pharmacists will be able to be patient-focused,” Wood said.
Two student-run pharmacies operated by Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences also had these concerns in 2016 and 2017 when they opened their pharmacies in the Whitney Young Health Center in Arbor Hill in Albany and another pharmacy on State Street in Schenectady. The two locations are considered Federally Qualified Health Centers, meaning they specifically provide health care to medically underserved populations.
The pharmacies expect some of the patients who previously used Walgreens to transfer to their pharmacy, said Paul Pagnotta, the manager of pharmacy operations and clinical services for the two student-operated pharmacies.
“They are very helpful for me if they have any questions,” said Karen, a 61-year-old Arbor Hill resident, who often gets her prescriptions delivered to her by the pharmacy located in Whitney Young Health Center. “Sara (the pharmacist) is always so helpful to me, always asking me how I’m doing … She helped me understand why I’m taking and what I’m taking.”
The representatives delivering prescriptions for the CDPHP pharmacies have also been trained to not just drop off prescriptions, but answer any questions patients have about their medications.
Karen’s finances have been tight during the pandemic and the pharmacist has allowed her to charge her co-pays to her account to pay at a later date.
Genoa Healthcare opened a pharmacy within Unity House in Troy in July of last year. This pharmacy is dedicated to serving patients dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues; however, it is also open to the public.
“We’re very focused on helping people stay on their medication plans, because research shows that helps people stay healthier by reducing hospitalization rates and emergency room visits,” wrote Lida Poletze, the director of marketing and communications for Genoa Healthcare, in an email. The pharmacy also offers free mail and delivery services to patients.
The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the amount of services pharmacies could provide their patients. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed an executive order allowing independent pharmacists to offer point-of-care tests for COVID -19, and more recently, to administer the COVID -19 vaccine.
Pagnotta, the manager of the student-run pharmacies, believes these advancements in pharmacy care will continue after the pandemic and hopes that pharmacists continue to play a larger role in the providing healthcare to the community.
“We are not looking to replace [medical care], but we do want to screen and provide therapy for patients in the future,” Pagnotta said.