Samaritan Health Services will open a neighborhood pharmacy at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City, Ore., on Jan. 6.
The system remodeled an 1,800-square-foot wing of the hospital to house the pharmacy, which includes a gift shop, walk-in entrance and drive-thru window. The pharmacy will offer vaccinations, medication therapy management, sharps disposal and drug take-back services, according to a Dec. 26 news release.
The new pharmacy opens at a time when retail chain locations and independent pharmacies are increasingly closing, particularly in rural areas.
"After one local pharmacy closed in Lincoln City a few years ago, I began hearing concerns that the remaining pharmacies may close or cut back on service," said Lesley Ogden, MD, CEO of Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital and Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, Ore. "I'm so pleased that Samaritan recognized the need and made the investment in this new pharmacy as an additional resource in our rural community."
Samaritan Health Services is a five-hospital, nonprofit system based in Corvallis, Ore.