Independent Pharmacies Provide Personalized Care During COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists played a crucial role in adapting to rapidly changing information and supporting their communities. Tom DePietro, PharmD, owner of DePietro's Pharmacy, highlighted how their pharmacy leveraged social media as a primary communication tool, providing daily updates that were both educational and engaging. They went beyond traditional information sharing by hosting live talks with local officials, which helped bring levity to a stressful time and kept customers informed about critical health guidance.
The pandemic underscored the unique value of independent pharmacies in delivering personalized healthcare. Unlike large chain pharmacies or mail-order services, independent pharmacies offer personal, local, and in-person care. DePietro emphasized that their ability to build relationships with customers and provide individualized attention is something that cannot be replicated by larger health care systems. This personal touch became especially important during the pandemic, when they proactively reached out to home delivery patients, particularly seniors, to ensure their needs were met.
DePietro also highlighted the broader implications for pharmacists' roles in healthcare. The pandemic demonstrated pharmacists' capacity to provide immediate healthcare access and preventative services, such as vaccine deployment. He argued that pharmacists are uniquely positioned as health care providers, offering instant face-to-face consultations unlike other medical professionals who require appointments or waiting times.
However, he also addressed significant challenges in the health care system. DePietro called for payment reform, noting that current models force pharmacies to fill thousands of prescriptions with minimal profit margins, leading to potential staffing shortages and increased work stress. They urged consumers to become advocates for systemic change, emphasizing that the current health care structure is unsustainable. Ultimately, pharmacists are adaptable, essential health care providers who proved their value during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to seek recognition and support for their critical role in community health.
"There's no other profession that you could get or obtain immediate access to a health care provider. [The c]losest you can get to a pharmacist is probably an urgent care," DePietro said. "You could literally walk into any pharmacy today and ask to speak to the pharmacist, and the pharmacist is going to walk over and look you in the face. There's no other health care provider that is positioned like a pharmacist."
