By Paula Pyzik Scott
With the impending closure of the Rite Aid pharmacy on Ada’s Main St., many area residents are faced with finding a new provider for filling prescriptions for temporary and chronic health needs.
If you Google “pharmacy near Ada, Ohio” a paid listing for an Arlington Pharmacy is followed by the Harding Highway Walmart Supercenter. Fourth on the list is ONU Healthwise Pharmacy, the only Ada option. Not found is a listing for Walgreens, which will be the default location for those who currently have prescriptions refilled by Ada’s Rite Aid.
The Healthwise pharmacy is located inside the Raabe College of Pharmacy, marked by a monument sign on Lincoln Ave. I’ve been to the pharmacy before, in a successful search for the Shingrix vaccine, and it’s not hard to find. Often the large Healthwise mobile clinic is parked by the front door.
Stuart Beatty, Dean of the ONU pharmacy school and Michael Rush, Director of ONU Healthwise & Pharmacy Residency Programs, gave the Icon an overview of the services provided by Healthwise and the steps a patient can take to implement their choice of provider.
Beatty explained that when a pharmacy closes, another typically purchases the records. This actually helps with patient safety, he noted. You don’t have to go back to your doctor and the prescription can still be filled. However, this default might not be the best fit for you. Location and insurance network are among the factors to consider.
To choose a new pharmacy, check with your insurance to determine if the provider is in network, which will help you determine if the cost will be the same.
Beatty also emphasized that you should not wait until the last minute to make the transition. He recommends calling the new pharmacy a week or two before you need the medications to transfer prescriptions.
When calling a pharmacy to transfer prescriptions, be ready to tell the new provider where your prescriptions are currently being filled, and have a list of all prescriptions to be transferred. Prescription numbers are very helpful. Insurance information can be provided at this time or when you pick up your medications.
It’s a five-minute phone call, says Beatty. You can visit a pharmacy to make the transfer, but calling is the easiest option.
Rush commented that doctors “are going to be concerned about access to care. In larger areas, you have more options.” He noted that when you have an acute need, you want to get the medication as soon as you can. The time and expense of driving to another town is a burden.
The Rite Aid closings will also impact Hardin County as well as Ada. There will only be three pharmacies in Hardin County when two Rite Aid locations close.
Healthwise is the only non-chain pharmacy in the county. It also operates a mobile health clinic. Their mission is to improve access to care for the area.
The Healthwise pharmacy includes a retail space with two clinic rooms. It carries a full line of vaccines and has over the counter (OTC) non-prescription medications and medical supplies.
“The pharmacy is open to everyone,” Beatty emphasizes. There is designated pharmacy parking and the “back door” of the building is the pharmacy entrance. Curbside pickup is available. The Healthwise phone is 419-772-3784 (DRUG).
Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Saturday. As is mandated, the pharmacy closes for lunch at 1:00 p.m.
Examples of other clinic services are blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar checks.
At Healthwise, you will find pharmacy students in addition to pharmacists. Beatty noted, there are over 7,000 living Raabe College of Pharmacy alumni. Nearly 1 in 4 Ohio pharmacists are ONU graduates.
The College of Pharmacy has been in Ada for 139 years and has its own pharmacy museum, which is located next to the retail pharmacy. Something else you won’t find in a chain store.
