CVS Health Pharmacy is doing the pop-up thing.
The pharmacy will start with a pop-up shop near the New Orleans convention center, where a kind of field hospital for coronavirus patients was set up – and more of these to come.
This pop-up has been put in place to deliver support to the state’s medical monitoring facility. The idea is to transfer coronavirus patients from hospitals who do not require a ventilator or ICU and mostly provide them with maintenance medication and counseling where needed.
It will operate between 8am – 4pm and will have a daily rotating staff of about 26 employees. The temporary pharmacy is not open to the general public.
“We’ve demonstrated an ongoing commitment to supporting the citizens of New Orleans, especially in times of need,” said Jeffrey Schmidt, Senior Vice President, CVS Health.
“Pharmacies are a critical resource for communities managing through the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’ll continue to be here for customers and patients in New Orleans and throughout the country.”
Pop up shops used to be a cool, fun trend. Now it is being adopted by pharmacies next to “field hospitals”—indeed, a stark reminder of the reality we all share. We love CVS, really, but we can’t wait for the day they will never do pop up stores, ever again.
This isn’t the first act CVS Health has taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, either. It already made diagnostic testing and Aetna-covered telemedicine visits available with no co-pay.
The company also waived charges for home delivery of prescription medications and created a frequently updated COVID-19 resource center to inform the public about the pandemic at all times.
In conjunction with federal and state officials, CVS Health has opened two rapid COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites—another great initiative that’s very helpful to all.
Safety First – Other Store Initiatives
It seems like every day there is a new idea or decision that tries to make this super mundane, every-day thing of just going to the store – safe again.
CNBC is reporting that food industry multinational corporate, Tyson Food, is now using infrared technology to measure their employees’ body temperature – before entering sites that help feed millions.
This indeed should combat the spread, if they are sticking to gloves and masks, of course.
And they’re not the only ones thinking about that option – UPS is considering it too, but likely will go with quicker options at the moment, per the report.
Tesco is introducing one-way aisles in stores as well as a “one-in, one-out” system for those wanting to shop. Walmart is also implementing both temperature tests and one-way aisles.
These measures will reduce the store’s capacity significantly and help to make sure that people are keeping at least 6 feet apart.
“We expect this to help more customers avoid coming into close contact with others as they shop,” Dacona Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Walmart US, wrote in an announcement.
Will going to the store ever be the same experience it was until just a few weeks ago?