Pharmacies are certainly a life-sustaining business, and local pharmacists are doing what they can to minimize exposure risk for their patients.
Mike Dolan, co-owner of the Ott & McHenry Pharmacy, has been posting to social media to relay information about the best way to put in orders and receive prescriptions.
Customers are asked to call the pharmacy to set up deliveries or arrange for curbside delivery. For those who cannot get out themselves, a friend can pick up medications if they have name and date of birth for the prescription holder. Seniors can call in advance to pre-pay for the medicine.
Dolan’s post Tuesday stated,“Our delivery/curbside idea, while not perfect, worked to achieve what we wanted. I think only once did I look up and see 3 people standing around…most people pulled or walked up, called us and we ran stuff out to their cars. Probably had 3x our usual deliveries, also.
“Let’s keep this up…if everybody does their part, we can beat the bug. If you have friends/family that think this is no big deal…try to show them it is. Isolate, but stay active, physical and mental stimulation will make this go a lot faster! Again, a big thank you to our Otts family, keep it up, this won’t last forever.”
As of Wednesday morning, people were still visiting the pharmacy, which is not prohibited but is noted as the option with the most risk.
A visit to the website for CVS Pharmacy finds that arrangements can also be made to have medicine mailed to them (if not a controlled substance) and the drive-through is open to all customers. Friends can pick up medicine through the ‘Friend Program,’ which requires the name and date of birth of the prescription holder, and seniors can prepay for their medications over the phone. For the older population, delivery of medicine to customers with certain prescriptions and/or insurance providers is available within a three-mile radius. For those interested, a call to the pharmacy is recommended.
Walmart Pharmacy does not offer delivery or curbside services. However, customers can arrange for certain prescriptions to be mailed or for friends to pick up the medication, provided they have the name and date of birth of the prescription holder.
Walmart offers senior hours on Tuesdays from 6 to 7 a.m. at which time the pharmacy is also open for those that choose to come in.
