Ritzman Pharmacy partners on ‘pharmacy of the future’ prototype

WADSWORTH, Ohio — Ritzman Pharmacy has entered into an agreement with Pharmacy Innovations, an affiliate of Northeast Ohio Medical University, to create a “Pharmacy of the Future” with a planned opening in January 2016. The pharmacy will be located in the NEOMED Education and Wellness Center.

 

At the pharmacy patients will have access to a medical fitness facility, primary care services, physical therapy, medication management, all informed by a holistic approach to wellness.

 

“The pharmacy will serve as an incubator of innovation, bringing elements such as telemedicine and mobile health apps and devices, to our pharmacy that are not commonly seen,” Charles Taylor, dean of the College of Pharmacy at NEOMED and president of Pharmacy Innovations, said. “It will be an extraordinary model for educating pharmacy students.”

 

The College of Pharmacy at NEOMED formed Pharmacy Innovations to leverage interprofessional education, collaborative partnerships and the unversity’s expertise to improve the health of urban and rural communities through advanced pharmacist services.

 

“Education is important to personal health, and it’s a driving principle for Pharmacy Innovations and NEOMED,” Taylor said. “By building a place that allows our patients and customers to better adhere to their prescriptions and have access to services that promote better health outcomes, we’re furthering our mission with the help of a trusted community pillar in Ritzman Pharmacy.”

 

The partnership was spurred by Ritzman Pharmacy, which wanted to build a practice site that is more community-oriented and pharmacist-accessible.

 

“Emerging health care philosophies are increasingly focused on wellness and we couldn’t be more thrilled to lead in the pharmacy experience,” George Glatcz, Ritzman Pharmacy COO, said. “We believe this pharmacy will serve as a catalyst to advance pharmacy and primary care in the community, and it wouldn’t be possible without our partners at NEOMED.”

 

“This will be a pharmacy of the future,” Ritzman Pharmacy CEO Eric Graf said. “We are using this model in all of our pharmacy practices, where the pharmacist will be front and center, contributing to more engaged and impactful patient-centered care.”