SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Big Y Foods and Western New England College School of Pharmacy have teamed up to develop a faculty pharmacist-run, patient-centered consultation and wellness center inside the Big Y World Class Market here.

The facility is the first one to be located in a supermarket. Patients will be able to make an appointment with a pharmacist who will work with the individual and his or her physician to optimize that individual's care. The grand opening event took place on Sept. 10.

The goal: to decrease visits to the emergency room and the number of hospital re-admissions by collaborating with physicians on patient care. Free services offered at the new consultation and wellness center include education and training programs, blood-glucose evaluations, individualized patient care plans and medication review. Kam Capoccia, clinical associate professor at the Western New England College School of Pharmacy, will supervise the center.

"There are changes taking place within the practice of pharmacy that make opportunities such as this more beneficial than ever to patient care," stated Evan Robinson, dean of the Western New England College School of Pharmacy. "To accomplish something like this, it was imperative to find a collaborate who shared our belief in the pharmacist-as-educator model, and to that end, we are thrilled to be working with Big Y."