Andre Mackey, a CVS pharmacy supervisor in Atlanta, shared with rolling out why early detection is important in combating chronic illnesses and why he’s proud to be associated with this important health initiative.
–christian johnson
What are the benefits of this project for the community?
The fact that we’re launching this in the Atlanta market is important because we have a large African American population, and we’re affected by a lot of the chronic diseases that are being screened for during the health fair.
You’ve worked for CVS for more than 20 years. Are you proud of your company’s outreach efforts in the community?
It’s really a huge service and early detection is important as far as people knowing their numbers, so that they can manage these diseases. What we’re trying to do is improve access to preventive care for people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it. We’ve basically removed the barrier of cost, and it’s free of charge, so it’s really a great service that we’re providing to the urban community.
Do you have direct patient contact?
Even though I don’t work directly with patients, I am able to reach even more people through managing the 19 stores. Pharmacists are probably the most accessible health care professionals, and they are actually able to touch more lives that way.
What advice do you have for aspiring pharmacists?
You certainly want to be passionate about helping people, and want to improve the lives of others, that’s the main focus of this event.
For more information, visit the Web site at www.toyourhealthusa.com.
