On National HIV Testing Day, Walmart announced on its website the opening of 70 new HIV-focused Specialty Community Pharmacies (SPOCs) in locations across the country, each chosen for its ability to have an impact among those who need it most.
“These pharmacies play an important role in understanding and treating the specialized needs of people in our communities living with HIV,” the retailer’s statement said. “Our team of HIV-trained pharmacists, technicians and community health workers are dedicated to making a difference and helping patients navigate their health journey, removing barriers to care in every way possible.”
According to the information, 70 SPOCs are opening this month in Colorado, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Florida, with free HIV testing events.
With this decision, Walmart says that by the end of the year, they will have more than 80 SPOCs open in 11 states.
Walmart emphasizes that it has a history of working to eradicate HIV/AIDS, as well as empathy, since the people who lead this program, like Aleata Postell, senior director of business development for specialty pharmacies, have a family friend who was diagnosed with HIV years before disclosing the diagnosis and seeking treatment, so now you have the opportunity to improve the accessibility and care of HIV, both in your acquaintance and in people who are carriers.
“In our work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, we have learned a great deal about the magnitude of the problem: 1 in 3 people living with HIV in the United States do not receive regular HIV treatment,” the report says. “That is why these SPOCs are so essential. With 150 million people passing through our doors every week, we have a unique opportunity to reach people who might not otherwise have access or feel comfortable seeking HIV care.”
Discreetly located inside a Walmart pharmacy, SPOCs help people living with HIV manage all aspects of their condition, right where they shop for their daily essentials.
“Our pharmacists work with the patient’s prescribers to collaborate on a treatment plan that is best for them,” explains Aleata. “Our pharmacists are an integral part of a patient’s care team, and this is exactly how our pharmacy teams are trained.”
Walmart notes that next year, it plans to expand its focus to autoimmune diseases, including skin, joint and gastrointestinal conditions.
For a full list of SPOC locations, more information on HIV testing and community services,
Enter here.
Keep reading:
· Walmart customer places an order at home and they leave it at home with everything and the shopping cart
· Walmart increases salaries of optical and pharmaceutical workers, how much will they earn now?
Man returns $2,000 he found in a Walmart cart