Roger Wu of USA Today reported that Harmony Pharmacy and Health Center opened its first drugstore this month at Terminal C at Newark Liberty Airport. In addition to filling prescriptions, a nurse practitioner will be available to write prescriptions to treat ailments such as allergies, bronchitis, colds, flu and sinus infections. Flu shots, blood pressure and cholesterol checks, simple checkups and pregnancy tests will also be services available.
Travelers filling outside prescriptions can have those prescriptions delivered to them at the gate. The company hopes to expand into fifteen major airports and then into high-end urban and surburban shopping areas.
We think that this is a great idea, but as the Times reports, it isn’t designed to handle emergencies. “This is a concept of marrying a pharmacy with a health center, stressing customer service in a high-end environment,†the founder described the company’s concept.
As their director of nursing put it…”Let’s say you’re a woman traveling with a couple of children, one of whom suddenly has an ear infection…Traveling, you’re usually stuck. But here, you can walk in and have a child who is sick treated on the spot. Let’s be clear. This isn’t a hospital. If you walk in here with chest pains, I’m sending you to an emergency room.â€
Hopefully coming soon to an airport near all of us…we appreciate the innovation.