A Black-owned startup is making history in its aim to bridge a pharmaceutical care crisis in Missouri.
St. Louis’s only Black-owned pharmacy in Missouri, GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness, is offering has adopted a hybrid model reflective of Walgreens and Amazon in providing free delivery service and telehealth offerings for St. Louis residents.
Per a news release, the move came as a result of closures of major pharmacy retailers throughout the city, which has disproportionately affected many of its Black and Brown residents and ultimately creating pharmacy deserts in these communities. This leads to people not being able to take the medications they need, causing an economic hit for US to the tune of about $528.4 billion, or 16% of the total US healthcare spend, per recent data.
As Healthcare Brew points out, more than 40% of all US counties are considered pharmacy deserts, per research from drug marketplace GoodRx. A 2021 study from the University of Southern California (USC) found there are “persistently fewer pharmacies” in Black and Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods compared to white or diverse neighborhoods.
“To make pharmacy more accessible in pharmacy deserts we are first bridging the trust gap and second, we are making it more convenient by offering free medication delivery and telehealth options,” GreaterHealth founder CEO, Dr. Marcus Howard, shared in a statement.
In addition to medication delivery, GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness delivers fruits and vegetables to St. Louis residents for free offer virtual telehealth services such as medication education, and health screenings. This is to address transportation challenges some residents may face in the city.
Dr. Howard adds: “I am looking forward to having a GreaterHealth Pharmacy in communities that need them most.”