Prescription for Success: The GLFHC Family Pharmacy 

In the five years since opening that first pharmacy at our Haverhill Street facility, the Health Center has responded to the increasing demand in the community for access to affordable medications. We have grown from a single pharmacy employing a pharmacist and three technicians to a pharmacy at each of our four clinical sites. More than 40 people, including 15 pharmacists, are now employed in this rapidly expanding Health Center effort.

Since the beginning, a major focus of our pharmacy initiative is on education. Every effort is made to counsel patients in their native language on the proper use of their medications. According to Diane Gatchell, "This is something that definitely sets our pharmacies apart from chain store pharmacies."

With the recent addition to the staff of Cristina Tejada, a Clinical Pharmacist, patient education is playing an even bigger role. Christina provides patients with a Medical Therapy Management (MTM) consultation, which enhances the pharmacist-client relationship. This interaction allows the pharmacist the optimal ability to observe signs of a patient’s health issues and early detection of medication-related problems. In a predominantly Latino population, MTM is a significant tool to assess cultural issues, patient preferences, levels of understanding, and language barriers that could adversely affect outcomes. By communicating this information to clinicians and case managers, the pharmacist is an important link to improving patients’ self-management of their medications.

In the coming year, GLFHC will continue to seek out opportunities for further expansion. Patrick Grotton, Chief Information Officer, describes our future focus: "We are looking to see where our patients most need our services and where they receive their care. The Health Center is working towards situating pharmacy services nearby in order to fill the needs of our patients and our community."