Submitted
Salina Family Healthcare Center (SFHC) is excited to celebrate 10 years of their on-site pharmacy, Salina Family Healthcare Pharmacy (SFHP), on November 6!
SFHC decided to open its own pharmacy after Jim’s Pharmacy was closed in 2012. Before closing, Jim’s Pharmacy had a limited formulary of medications that were discounted for qualified uninsured patients of SFHC. Recognizing this would create a gap in the care of SFHC’s patients, the SFHC Board of Directors decided to invest in an on-site pharmacy that could continue to offer prescription medications at significantly reduced costs to health center patients.
The vision for the pharmacy was initially limited to filling this void, but after opening the pharmacy on November 5, 2013, SFHC quickly realized that having an on-site pharmacy created many new opportunities to better serve its patients in addition to access to affordable medications.
“Limited access to medications is a major barrier to a healthy patient and community. We are so lucky at SFHC to have a very special pharmacy that can begin to break down that barrier for our patients,” said CEO Dr. Robert Kraft.
“SFHP helps break down barriers to medication access and supports so much of the vital work we do that is not paid for through insurance. Linking patients to community resources, pharmacist support of physicians through clinical pharmacy services, and so much more would not be possible without SFHP. Thank you to all of the pharmacists, staff, and patients of SFHP for a great decade! It will be exciting to see where the next decade takes us!”
Since first opening, SFHP has:
- Grown from three staff members to 16
- Renovated its pharmacy in 2019 to expand its size and add important technology advancements
- Expanded to offer free medication delivery within Salina and free prescription bubblepacking
- Added a free medication collection unit in SFHC’s lobby that has sent hundreds of pounds of unused medication (including dangerous opioids) to be safely destroyed and out of circulation in our community
- Managed SFHC’s Manufacturer Assistance Program (MAP) that helps eligible patients get medication directly from pharmaceutical companies at no cost
- Added robust clinic pharmacy services such as chronic condition management, including an emphasis on diabetes education and management
- Saved eligible patients an estimated $2.6 million annually on the cost of their prescriptions compared to the cash price based on numbers from fiscal year 2022
- Started a Pharmacy Residency Program in 2023
- Advocated for state and federal programs and legislation such as the 340B Drug Pricing Program that helps to make medication more accessible and affordable for patients
“I was hired in April 2014, about five months after SFHP opened. We were thrilled if we filled anywhere close to 100 prescriptions in a day back then. Our daily prescription volume has more than doubled with many more services and staff members to help our patients,” said Derek Pihl, Chief Pharmacy Officer.
Derek continued, “Rod Smith owned Jim’s Pharmacy in town for several years and was instrumental in getting SFHP opened for SFHC. I am forever grateful for what he and the original staff did to set our foundation and leave a legacy that is doing so much good for our patients and community. Being owned by SFHC, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), allows us to help patients in unique ways including assistance with the cost of medication. Thank you to all our current, past, and future SFHP patients. I’m very proud of our current pharmacy staff and know how much they look forward to serving the Salina community for the next 10 years and beyond.”
If you would like to help the SFHP team celebrate, we invite you to drop by Monday, November 6 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or congratulate them the next time you are in to pick up your prescription!