Odenville Drugs: Building community one patient at a time
Published 2:00 pm Thursday, September 17, 2015
- Odenville Drugs' gift shop, conveniently located in the pharmacy.
Odenville Drugs is known as a community pharmacy. It’s a label the store has earned, and one that drives the staff to put others first in every facet of the business relationship.
Take for example, flu season.
“We go to every senior center, city hall, fire department, police station and to our homebound patients to make sure they get vaccinated,” Pharmacist Jenny Baldone said. “We know it is difficult for them to come to us, and we want to care for those that care for our community.”
And that’s just the beginning. The pharmacy’s community service expands into event sponsorships and participation with local charities. Every holiday season, the staff enjoys participating in the Odenville Police Department’s annual Toy for Tots drive, and employees take pride in the Angel Tree project.
These efforts are meant to build the community up outside its doors. But inside the store, the staff’s mission is to protect the health of its patients.
“We make it a priority to know all of our patients names, know about their family and do everything we can to make visiting our store an enjoyable experience,” Stephanie Wright said. “ And we want them to leave knowing we care deeply about their personal well being.”
Choosing Odenville Drugs means joining a network of St. Clair County businesses that includes Ashville Drugs and MainStreet Drugs in Pell City. For its patients, a pharmacist from one of the locations is always on call. A 24-hour emergency number gives patients access to a person they can trust to know their specific needs and help with emergency medications.
And they’ll never talk to a machine. Maintaining a personal connection is the reason that there is no automated service when a patient phones the pharmacy.
“We want our customers to talk to a person, not go through an annoying series of automated commands,” Wright said.
Because of their personal knowledge of each patient’s regular medications, they recognize when a prescription is out of the ordinary. Since Odenville Drugs also offers home delivery, the staff has the ability to care for its patients when they are most in need.
“The service is available to everyone, but we deliver a lot to patients who are ill and are not feeling up to coming to see us,” Baldone said. “We can see when a medication is prescribed and figure out that the patient is sick. When that happens, we call the patient to offer them delivery so they don’t have to come here.”
The dedication to the community is something that patients have recognized and appreciate.
“We’re here to help and to heal, and we know the community believes and trusts us to do just that,” Baldone said. “Some come to us in lieu of an urgent care center — to handle small medical situations when they need advice. We’re always willing.
“That’s what neighbors are for.”
For more information on Odenville Drugs, visit their website at odenvilledrugs.com, like them on Facebook at facebook.com/OdenvilleDrugs or call the store at (205) 629-6303.
Flu season is coming!
With flu season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get vaccinated. Odenville Drugs has vaccinations currently available at their location. Their personal service extends to vaccinations, as well.
Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
(205) 629-6303
140 Council Drive, Odenville, AL 35120
