Spring 2019
Legacy Pharmacies Now Offer Curbside Pickup
Legacy Community Health Board of Directors Amanda Goodie-Roberts Chairperson Alex Jessett Vice-Chairperson Naveen Pinglay Treasurer Marissa Taler Secretary Richard Davidson At-Large / Executive Committee Beryl Basham George Burch Abigail Caudle, M.D. Gary Hammett Bryan Hlavinka Bethsheba Johnson Mariana Chavez Mac Gregor, M.D. Ryan Martin Johnson Olatunji Glenna Pierpont Devin Vasquez Legacy Community Health Endowment Board of Directors Tripp Carter Chairperson Brent Whiteley Vice-Chairperson Mike Holloman Treasurer Bryan Hlavinka Secretary Michael Alexander Stephen Locke Mark McMasters, M.D. Board Member Emeritus
It’s more convenient than ever to pick up prescriptions from Legacy’s Montrose and 5th Ward pharmacies. With curbside service, a staff member will hand-deliver your medication while you wait in your car, saving time and the sometimesfrustrating effort to find a parking space. It’s just one more way Legacy is providing personalized service. What’s more, pharmacy customers aren’t just clients. They’re members.
health. “There is a difference between saying, ‘Do you have any questions?’ and actually sitting down and counseling someone,” says Karen Gurwitch, Senior VP of Pharmacy.
Pharmacy technician Liz Brinks helps members download and use the new Pharmacy app to request curbside pickup. “A woman who had her two children asleep in her car called me,” says Brinks. “I met her in one of our assigned curbside parking spaces, gave her the medication, and helped her set up her phone for her next trip.” Staffers even have Legacy raincoats to wear for rainy day deliveries.
“I’ve worked in pharmacy for a long time, and one of the amazing things to see is our members sitting down and having 10-minute consultations with our pharmacists to better understand their medication regimens,” says Inventory Specialist Mary Llano.
In the year and a half since Legacy launched its pharmacy services at the Montrose and Fifth Ward clinics, additional cashiers have reduced the time waiting in line. Customers can expect personalized care and friendly service at every visit. “We want to establish a relationship with our members and get to know them face to face,” says Ruston Taylor, Senior Director of Pharmacy Operations. “We want to educate them on the right way to take their medication and ensure there are no medication conflicts.”
Something as simple as understanding the right way to take multiple medications can reduce side effects, encouraging members to follow their treatment plans.
The direct connection to Legacy’s providers is another benefit. If a member runs out of medication before their next scheduled appointment, the pharmacy can coordinate with the provider to ensure no medication doses are missed. The team also works with patients to reduce multiple trips by coordinating medications. “If there are problems with how much medications costs, difficulties getting here, or even having enough time to pick up their prescriptions, we want to meet our members where they are,” says Gurwitch. “Our goal is to make sure they stick to their medication treatment plan and we are doing whatever we can to help them do that.”
Legacy’s pharmacy team is trained to have open conversations with members to encourage them to learn more about the medications they are taking and how to better control their
Melanie Gray Melissa Mithoff James A. Reeder, Jr. Monsour Taghdisi Claire Cormier Thielke
Legacy Montrose Pharmacy staff
Liz Brink delivering a prescription to a patient
For more information about Legacy’s pharmacy services or the new pharmacy app, visit https://www.legacycommunityhealth.org/services/pharmacy/