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| photo credit: Drugs via photopin (license) |
Steven Martinez, a resident in San Jose, cried tears of relief when he was able to refill his daughter's asthma medication at the new pharmacy in San Jose named The Better Health Pharmacy.
"I used to worry about if my kids or if I got hurt, but at least we have someone looking out for us now," Martinez said.
The Better Health Pharmacy, located at 725 E. Santa Clara St., is the first of its kind in California. The program is made possible by a law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005, allowing the resale of unexpired and unopened pharmaceuticals.
While the original pharmacy opened in 2008, it has since grown into a new establishment allowing it to serve more Santa Clara County residents. Pharmacist-in-charge Kanh Pham was shocked at its growth in recent years.
"When this program started we were storing donated medications wherever we could find the space. We now have room to store and dispense a wider variety of medications," Pham said.
The new pharmacy opened in August 2015 and runs on donations from 150 surrounding hospitals, reusing pharmaceuticals that would otherwise be wasted.
While the pharmacy does not dispense controlled substances such as Oxycontin or Vicodin, it does supply medications for diabetes, asthma and stroke prevention.
Although the pharmacy is the first of its kind in California, similar facilities have been established in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida and Iowa. The law allowing these programs have been passed by 38 states, with 27 currently active.
Better Health Pharmacy's website says that its main goal is medication access for anyone, with the slogan "no controlled drugs, no insurance, no copays." Its website claims it has the potential to salvage $700 million worth of drugs.
In order to prevent misuse of the medicine provided, the pharmacy requires a doctor's prescription to validate the need for pharmaceuticals, eliminating the chance of abuse.
Better Health Pharmacy's Public Communications Specialist Johanna Silverthorne said homeless people are among the largest beneficiaries of the facility.
"They're among the most likely people to receive benefits from this. It's not limited to the homeless, but they are the people who would really benefit from this," Silverthorne said.
Chico has 571 homeless people, according to the 2015 Butte County homeless census. The United States Census Bureau estmates that 18 percent of people living in the city do not have health insurance.
Eric Langlough, a Chico resident of two years, supports the idea of a free pharmacy in Chico, saying he thinks it's essential for the homeless population.
"Everyone deserves to be taken care of, and if Chico can provide medicine for the people who are sick because they sleep out in the cold, then we should do it," Langlough said.
Michael Diangelo, a Chico native who has experienced homelessness, also says that the Better Health Pharmacy should be expanded to Chico.
"I didn't know who to turn to when I was sick or in pain, and something like this could have made all the difference," Diangelo said.
While the pharmacy runs on donations from surrounding hospitals, it is unable to accept medicine donated by individuals for safety reasons. Because of this, the Better Health Pharmacy does not always carry the drugs some people need.
The pharmacy's chance of success in Chico would depend on its ability to receive enough medical donations to keep it stocked with pharmaceuticals. San Jose has more homeless people to care for but more hospitals to provide donations, while Chico has fewer hospitals but a fair amount of clinics.
While it's uncertain that the trend of free pharmacies will catch on in California, let alone Chico, it has seen growth as it has developed from state to state.
-- By Kenta McAfee