Philadelphia Pharmacies Continuing To Recover From Recent Looting, Working Overdrive To Get Patients Prescriptions
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Pharmacies in the city are working hard to reopen after more than 150 of them were burglarized or looted. A local Walgreens manager is making sure at-risk populations can still get their prescriptions.
Pharmacies continue to recover from the recent looting in Philadelphia. A number of stores like the Walgreens on Broad Street and Hunting Park Avenue remain shuttered.
Working to get its customers their prescriptions is of the utmost importance.
"It's very critical," Dalal Abdeljaber, Walgreen's district manager for North Philadelphia, said. "We understand that patients need their prescriptions in order to sustain a healthy lifestyle, especially our seniors who have critical chronic conditions."
The drive-thru at this location is open, or patients can pick up their prescriptions from the door.
Police say 151 pharmacies were burglarized across the city, including Acme, Rite Aid and smaller locations.
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Walgreens managed to fully reopen 11 of its 17 Philadelphia stores with another two in a limited capacity.
"We are moving as quickly as possible," Abdeljaber said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to get this location up and running within the next week."
Working as quickly as they can to get back on track, pharmacists are reaching out to customers who require high touch care such as seniors and those with complex conditions to provide individualized support.
"Many of them have chronic conditions and will need to take their medication on a day to day basis," Abdeljaber said, "so it was very important for us to get those pharmacies up and running and to be able to service the community as quickly as possible."
There are a number of stores that remain boarded up, but customers can still get their necessary prescriptions. Free home delivery is also an option.