Collaboration Adds Telehealth Center to Retail Pharmacy Location

A recent partnership between Publix Pharmacy and Beaufort Memorial Hospital in South Carolina aims to add a telehealth center to a pharmacy location, which will include features such as a private room with telehealth conferencing tools, along with medical diagnostic equipment.

Publix Pharmacy is a part of Publix, an employee-owned supermarket company that operates 1,324 stores throughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Publix Pharmacy fills a wide array of prescriptions, including specialty and compound medications.

The pharmacy has partnered with several healthcare organizations to set up telehealth centers within its locations. Per its most recent partnership, it is opening its fourth telehealth center with support from Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Founded in 1944, Beaufort Memorial Hospital is a nonprofit hospital comprising a total of 201 beds, with 169 acute, 14 rehabilitation, and 18 mental health spots.

The new telehealth center will give patients access to teleconferencing services, as well as medical diagnostic equipment such as stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, cameras with high-definition capabilities, and other resources with diagnosis abilities.

Through this service, patients with health issues such as coughs, influenza, fevers, and rashes will be able to communicate with licensed healthcare providers virtually. From there, the provider can direct them to use any of the diagnostic tools provided. The provider can see the measurements and data collected by the tools and can virtually provide prescriptions for medications.

The press release noted that each telehealth center visit is $67, and no appointments are necessary.

“Publix Pharmacy looks forward to extending new, convenient services to even more communities with the help of Beaufort Memorial Hospital,” said Vice President of Publix Pharmacy Dain Rusk in a press release. “Convenience in the world of health care is something that patients value and expect. Offering telehealth services provide the comfort of a clinic, with the convenience of being in your local Publix.”

The addition of the telehealth center comes as research on its benefits grows. And these benefits are not necessarily bound to patient outcomes.

A recent study shows that the uptake of telehealth during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic led to noticeable financial and environmental benefits. Researchers assessed data from five University of California healthcare systems, finding that telehealth helped save around 17.6 miles in travel distance, 35 minutes in travel time, and $11 in travel costs per patient.

Consequently, many hospitals are continuing to integrate telehealth into their care delivery models. 

In August 2022, Children’s Hospital of New Orleans announced that it would work with 16 Cleveland Clinic providers to expand virtual pediatric radiology services. Those involved in the collaboration noted that their goal was to supplement pediatric radiology providers at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans and provide 24/7 access to pediatric radiology services.