BHSN, Genoa celebrate on-site pharmacy opening

Carly Newton, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
·3 min read

Jul. 12—MORRISONVILLE — Behavioral Health Services North and Genoa Healthcare's new collaborative on-site pharmacy will decrease the barriers that clients face on a daily basis and increase access to resources.

"One of the biggest obstacles that our population faces is transportation, and then childcare and other issues," Liz Cole, VP of Operations at Behavioral Health Services North, said at the pharmacy's grand opening Wednesday.

"So by having it (the pharmacy) under one roof, there's an accessibility and ease of access so that they can actually walk out of their appointment with, let's say a psychiatrist, and they can come right over and get their updated scripts then go home. So they're not going and making an extra step to go to a pharmacy or to wait in line or to extend their Medicaid transportation or a cab or childcare."

The new Genoa pharmacy, located at BHSN's Morrisonville location, will help individuals receiving care there stay on their medications through specialized offerings, including pre-filled pill organizers, proactive outreach calls and prior authorization assistance.

ALMOST LIKE A HOME

Clients also get the added benefit of being in an environment where they are already safe and comfortable, Cole said.

"This kind of becomes like a home, almost. Getting treatment with us, they know the faces here," she said.

"We really try to support anybody who has an issue with a lot of stigma when they try to seek care and so we really try to remove a lot of those barriers for them by creating a safe space, a really safe team to come in and talk to and trust — not a crowded store to walk into and have to speak about things," Director of Operations for New York at Genoa Healthcare, Brittany Altieri, said.

MEDICAL DELIVERY SERVICES

Medication delivery services will look to remove even more barriers.

"Our pharmacy, if our clients forget their medications, or they miss them ... will actually reach out to them or they will deliver the medications themselves," Cole said.

"So if there's something that did come up and they can't get to us, we have a delivery process with the pharmacy that will make sure that they're not missing their medications.

"For some of our populations, if they miss their medication, that could result in them being in the hospital. So making sure that we're supporting them to manage their medications is, for a lot of our clients, really critical for their wellness."

Alexa Pirofsky, site manager at Genoa Healthcare, said they deliver to about a 10-15 mile radius, depending on the situation and how urgent it is.

"Otherwise, we have overnight FedEx as an option to get there the next day. We can also utilize the general post office as well," Pirofsky said.

"Generally, we plan ahead for people's refills and get them ready the week before, so if they are something that needs to go out in mailing, we have time to work to make sure it gets to them before they run out."

'A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING'

The pharmacy's hours of operation now mirror the clinic's and is open five days a week. Cole said employees at BHSN can also take advantage of the new in-house pharmacy if need be.

"If they've got a sick kid at home with an ear infection, and when they leave work, they can pick up their amoxicillin or whatever medication and get their home needs met," she said.

"So there's definitely a perk for our staff."

The opening of this pharmacy, for Cole, is now like a dream come true after 10 years.

"We're really excited about it. This has been like I said, a long time in the making ... so to see it come to life has been really cool."

"To be able to have this ease of access for our clients here really allows us to make sure that we're meeting them right where they are and making sure their needs are met."

Email: cnewton@pressrepublican.com

Twitter: CarlySNewton