Big Y Opens Co-branded Consultation and Wellness Center

Big Y Foods, Inc. and Western New England College have opened a co-branded Consultation and Wellness Center. The faculty pharmacist-run, patient-centered feature, located at the Big Y World Class Market on 300 Cooley Street in the grocer’s hometown of Springfield, Mass., is the result of a collaborative practice partnership between Western New England College School of Pharmacy, also based in Springfield, and the grocery chain that will offer faculty pharmacist-provided patient-centered care.

According to Big Y, the pharmacy consultation and wellness center is one of the largest of its kind in the region, as well the first to be located within a supermarket. Patients will be able to make an appointment with a pharmacist who will work with the person and his or her medical doctor to ensure the best care.

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

Added Charles L. D’Amour, the grocer’s president and COO: “Programs like this will help to improve the quality of life and health of Big Y customers.” The center is part of Big Y’s wider wellness initiative, D’Amour noted.

Services offered at center include education and training programs, blood glucose evaluations, individualized patient care plans, and medication review. According to the creators of the center, these services are more crucial than ever, due to an aging population and the subsequent strain on the state’s health care system.