Carl Taylor, Piedmont Health’s Director of Pharmacy, has expanded the program from three pharmacies to eight in his 19 years on the job. A strong advocate for reaching out to Congress, Taylor helped secure the federal 340B program that results in patients paying a fraction of what drugs cost at traditional pharmacies.



Piedmont Health has “closed pharmacies,” meaning they only take care of their patients, and for example can offer a vile of insulin that lasts a month for about $2.99 cents. That same insulin is $50 to $60 at a big-box pharmacy. “And we will take those prices and give a patient a three-months supply for $11,” Taylor says, “which would be much more at most pharmacies.”



At Piedmont Health, patients have complete access to pharmacy services there. All eight pharmacies write more than 300,000 prescriptions a year. And they are all located in Piedmont Health clinics, where patients can get prescriptions from their doctor, walk over to have them filled plus have a consultation with their pharmacist, if needed.



At the Piedmont Health SeniorCare PACE Centers, medications are no charge as part of the program. Medications are packaged in separate bubble packs for each day that are labeled for the morning or for lunch, dinner and at bedtime. “And we then deliver that medication to the patient’s home, if they need that, as well,” Taylor says. “It’s pretty amazing!”



“Reflections” is a recurring series on Chapelboro.com sponsored by Piedmont Health Services that will highlight local healthcare professionals striving with purpose and passion to keep our community happy, healthy and thriving.