You know how when you walk into a CVS, there’s all those medications—for a stuffy nose, headache, upset stomach—that you can find in an aisle and pay for up front? Or that you can ask the pharmacist about, if you have some questions about your symptoms?
That’s the idea behind Asili’s new over the counter medication service, prototyping first at their Mudusa clinic and kicked off yesterday. It’s important that patients can get access to some of these relief-giving meds much more easily (what if you had to make a doctor’s appointment every time you needed Tylenol?), but it’s also important that they can see what their options are.
“We want our patients to see what they want to purchase,” said Dr. Johnny. “They have to see it. This will help them understand that they have access to those drugs.”
But the current set up in the Asili clinic only allowed for medications to be in the pharmacy, behind a closed door. The team wanted a solution that patients could see as soon as they walked in.
So, with the help of 365, they scouted out and purchased a brand new metal medicine cabinet, with glass doors that patients can see through clearly.
There are so many ailments that these meds can help with. But even at the CVS, there are also those that you need a prescription for—behind the counter. Same with Asili.
“Everything that’s in the cabinet, we’re allowed to sell them over the counter,” said Dr. Johnny. “All the other drugs that aren’t there, they’ll have to come in for a consultation and get a prescription. This is really important in terms of health education—it helps our patients understand what we’re offering and how we can help.”
Photos by Lens on Life photographers, Operation Goma (DRC): Kennedy Ngoa and Michel Basizi
