Boston neighborhoods deemed "pharmacy deserts" get help from community health centers
As some retail pharmacies have struggled to stay open, especially in Boston's diverse neighborhoods, community health centers are stepping up to fill the void.
Dozens of pharmacies have closed in Boston and hundreds statewide, complicating an already exacerbated situation.
The exodus by traditional pharmacies has created what are known as "pharmacy deserts."
"It's good for me to have a pharmacy in my neighborhood because I need it," said Gloria Bowers, a patient of Dimock Health Center in Roxbury. "We have a lot of elderly here, people that can't get their medication or walk to get their medication."
Boston's community health centers
When local pharmacies shut down, some community health centers sprang into action to help fill the gap.
"We had CVS here, and then we ended up ending the contract with CVS because of the issues we were having, and then we needed to make a decision quick: What do we do now? Do we open our own pharmacy or do we team up with someone else?" said Marisol Rosario, chief operating officer at the Dimock Center.
The Dimock Center ended up doing both. They teamed up with the Community Pharmacy Cooperative (CPC), an organization serving as a vital resource for community health centers who want to provide pharmacy services.
"Our organization is community health center-owned and led, so our organization is run by community health centers, and they came together and needed help in pharmacy," said Tom Siepka, the chief pharmacy officer for the Community Pharmacy Cooperative. "We partner with health centers like the Dimock Center, they've come to us and said we're seeing pharmacies close in our community, our pharmacy that was here is gonna be closing, we need to open up a pharmacy to service our community, they don't know where to begin with that."
Life expectancy gap between neighborhoods
A recent report from the Boston Public Health commission found a 23-year life expectancy gap between residents in Roxbury versus residents in the Back Bay, areas just 2 miles apart. In that same report, residents of color had a significantly higher death rate from diabetes, preventable cancers and heart disease compared to White Bostonians.
"All three of the things named can be treated and prevented and the question is why? It's a systemic problem because if you walk in and you don't have health insurance, you automatically, patients oftentimes feel like they'll get turned away and so if there's ways in which health centers can mitigate that and we can provide the care regardless if someone has insurance or not," said Philly Laptiste, the chief officer of the Community Care Cooperative, also known as C3.
CPC has several similar partnerships with community health centers across the region who are first time pharmacy holders, each with their unique design.
"Before we open any pharmacy, the first thing that we do is we look into the prescription prescribing data. And then we purchase all the inventory based on those prescriptions," said John Michael Award, the senior director of pharmacy operations for CPC. "And so a lot of times, it's management, therapy, diabetes, hypertension. And that's really the case in Dimock as well."
Closing the health equity gap
"I remember sitting here and I was alerted by security that they were putting up a sign and I looked out and I was like, wow, this is really happening, we made this happen," Rosario said. "But I have to tell you the most rewarding part has been seeing how happy our patients are. When our patients are happy, I'm happy."
Bowers, the Roxbury resident, has been happy with the service she has received.
"I am so happy, I'm so proud of them. Medication is ready, you don't have to worry about your prescription getting lost. I don't worry about anything," said Bowers.
To close the heath equity gap, Community Pharmacy Cooperative is collaborating with health centers all across the country and will continue the trend of placing pharmacies in underserved communities and providing culturally competent care to those in need.
