Hometown - Not Your Average Pharmacy

When people think of a typical pharmacy - medications come to mind - fulfilling life’s basic needs for survival. At Hometown Pharmacy, we DO fill prescriptions - some for acute illness, some for chronic disease states - antibiotics, heart and cholesterol medication, antidepressants….and the list goes on. We also administer vaccines - Flu, Shingles, Hepatitis B, those needed for travel, for opioid addiction, and more. Of course we carry the standard over the counter items such as ibuprofen, first aid products, antacids and the like for emergency situations and durable medical equipment for injuries and recovery after surgery.

We DO all of the things a typical pharmacy does, including saving lives, HOWEVER, there are SO many things that differentiate a Hometown Pharmacy from your standard pharmacy. One very distinct difference is our passion to EDUCATE our patients on their health. We want to help them feel better and maybe even help them so they may not need to take prescription medication. That doesn’t sound much like a pharmacy, does it?

Our health team educates patients in many ways: consistent and timely conversations about how they are feeling while taking their medications, conversations about nutrient depletion, supplements, nutrient levels, offering suggestions with regard to nutrition, movement, sleep and stress reduction - our 4 Core Health Principles - and more. Our 4 Core Health Principles are our foundation because we feel that even small improvements or changes in one or all of these areas may lead to huge improvements in core health areas.

Although our pharmacists have always been passionate about patient care and helping patients feel better, we have exciting NEW programs that will offer increased ways to enhance or improve patient health. Most locations offer in-store science-based health data testing to determine current health status and suggest ways to improve these metrics, which may include testing Vitamin D levels, Omega 3 levels, Body Fat Percentage, Inflammation, Bone Density, Overall Nutrient levels, Carotenoid levels and more. These metrics are key in helping determine the steps necessary to improve health. Again, we want patients to FEEL better, so they can enjoy the important things in life.

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the important things in life are 1.) to survive 2.) to form relationships, to reproduce 3.) to feel good about yourself 4.) to learn and gain knowledge 5.) to surround yourself with beauty, comfort and balance 6.) to achieve your potential and 7.) to ultimately achieve transcendence - which means different things to different people.

Hometown Pharmacy helps patients meet the basic needs to survive - but also fills many other needs that most people probably don’t consider that are crucial to health and well-being.

According to Maslow, one can survive when basic needs are met, however they cannot thrive if other psychological needs are not met - love, self-esteem, relationships, a sense of belonging and a connection to other people. According to recent studies, social isolation significantly increases a person's risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. Social isolation was associated with about a 50% percent increased risk of dementia as well. Especially with COVID-19, it is so important to connect.

Hometown pharmacists and their teams connect with patients more than most healthcare professionals - at least once a month, however, in reality, much more often. The relationship between patient and pharmacist is paramount and often intimate. The pharmacy team often performs well- check phone calls if their patient doesn’t come to pick up a prescription, a phone call to discuss the patient’s medication and any side effects they might be having, refill phone calls, insurance questions - and the list goes on. Our pharmacy staff has delivered food to shut-in patients and run errands or grocery shopped when delivering their prescriptions - as well as have sat and chatted to ensure all was well. This happens more often than you think. AND our connection with our patients is just as important to us as it is to them.

When people think of pharmacies - again they think of prescriptions, over the counter - maybe soaps and lotions, makeup - all things apothecary. However, newcomers walk through our doors and the first thing out of their mouths is “wow - this is a pharmacy?!” and then “it smells so good in here!” OR “this is beautiful!”

Hometown is here to provide our customers with all things that will elevate their health and feeling of well-being. Sometimes this might not look anything like what you find in a typical pharmacy.

It might just look like a cozy blanket, a candle that smells like grandma’s apple pie, a piece of wall art with a favorite quote that inspires, a book to spend a lazy afternoon reading and relaxing with, a comfy pair of lounge pants, OR a warm sweater to keep you toasty on a cold Wisconsin day. It also might look like a vintage Santa ornament that takes you back to your childhood, a trendy new outfit that makes you look amazing and feel confident, a beautiful chair, pillow or rug - that brings a feeling of calm and peace to your living room when you walk through the door at the end of the day. It might be a delicious piece of dark chocolate, a tasty treat or a cup of hot chocolate or tea that you enjoy with a friend. What about music playing softly in the background or a water fountain’s calming and joyful trickle.

The front end of the pharmacy - which is aptly and newly branded Hometown Living - is all about inspiring all five senses- smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing - and about evoking a feeling of home, of comfort, of confidence and of a lifestyle balance. Hometown is a place you can visit with your friends and family, connect, and create memories and traditions that will last a lifetime. We inspire creativity, beauty, and healthy living.

I bet you didn’t know your independent pharmacy contributed to your health in so many unexpected ways! According to Maslow - Hometown offers (almost) everything you need to survive and even experience a fulfilling life!

Basic Health Needs - Medications, Over the Counter, Durable Medical Equipment

Proactive or Preventative Medicine - Supplements, Natural Health Products, Wellness Programs to help you live your healthiest, happiest life

Connection and Relationships - A place to connect often and intimately with your pharmacist and a place to connect with family and friends, doing something enjoyable

Education - Pharmacy team providing knowledge and understanding about health and wellness

Confidence - Knowledge about your health so that you are confident making important healthcare decisions. Offering apparel, home decor that will help make you feel confident and esteemed, your home feel comfortable and inviting

Comfort, Beauty and Balance - Offering home decor, furniture and accessories that will help you create a home retreat that is warm, cozy and beautiful - creating a reprieve from your busy life outside the home and help create life balance.

Transcendence - Okay, this might be pushing it…Helping you create a space (both mentally and physically) where you can remove yourself or transcend from the everyday, and relax in a space created for you, by you, where you are overcome by the ultimate feeling of health and wellbeing.