Connecting the pharmacy dots

Drug Store News speaks with Lori Ann Hamilton, director of healthy initiatives at Food City.

Drug Store News: In your view, what is the important role that supermarket pharmacy plays in health care?

Lori Ann Hamilton: One of the first things that we’ve done is look at the fact that inactivity is a major health risk for so many medical conditions, so we did a “Food City Fitness 250” on the Web, and all of our associates could access it. It was a fun way to get them up and moving. For every 30 minutes they exercised, they got a lap.… We saw that it motivated people in our stores to get up and start moving. So we then started in October with a football theme.… We will start Jan. 1 with a Food City Fitness 500 playing upon the Nascar 500.

I am a registered nurse, so I look at it as the pharmacists are a key component to the whole team that helps an individual with their care and health and wellness.… The pharmacist is accessible, knowledgeable and also well-rounded to help [the consumer], and has more time [than a physician]. They are a trusted part of the healthcare team.