Local pharmacist providing residents a dose of hope, training Binghamton students

While the name may have changed, the mission remains the same. Guthrie Binghamton Pharmacy, formerly known as the Hope Dispensary of the Southern Tier, will continue to help those with limited incomes who have no prescription coverage.

Another thing that won't change: Students from the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will still train there for real-world experience on what it means to be a pharmacist.

Earlier this year, the Guthrie Clinic acquired Binghamton's Lourdes Hospital and related locations from Ascension, including the Hope Dispensary.

Nicholas Stevens, the supervising pharmacist at Guthrie Binghamton Pharmacy, says helping those on limited incomes or without insurance was a great service to residents, and Guthrie wants to continue it while also offering the other services and care the healthcare provider has come to be known for.

"We really look to help patients in any way possible," Stevens said. "One of the services that we offered, and really the start of this pharmacy in particular, was offering medications for free for patients who did not have insurance. For those patients without insurance, we have a financial counselor and, in the past, we had a social worker on staff. Patients come here and sit down with that financial counselor or social worker, and we help them sign up for insurance.

The care doesn't stop there, as pharmacy staff want to make sure their patients aren't left without a lifeline after they sign up.

"There tends to be a time period in which insurance isn't active, even after they've been signed up for it," Stevens said. "During that period of time where we're waiting for the person's insurance to be active, we'll give them enough medication to hold them over until they actually get that insurance."

This type of care and service is what it's all about for Stevens and his staff. By going this extra mile for their patients, patients are grateful, and this has a positive effect on the community.

"It feels great to be a part of something like that and really just helping anybody that comes here," he said. "We received a lot of support from Lourdes in the past, and Guthrie is fully committed to supporting that service as well. So being a part of that and helping out the community in any way possible is really important to me, and it's one of the reasons why I chose healthcare in the first place."

Now, Stevens is ensuring this quality of care and compassion is being passed on to the next generation. He's also a preceptor for Binghamton University pharmacy students, taking them under his wing during their rotations and giving them invaluable experience as a pharmacist in the field.

"I've been precepting Binghamton students for four years now - almost five," he said. "I take them through the basics of pharmacy and what it means to be a pharmacist. We'll process prescriptions through insurance companies and walk through pharmacy systems when there are drug interactions. We also go over counseling, self-care recommendations and medication therapy management to give them as much hands-on experience as possible."

Nicholas Schwier, the assistant dean of experiential education for SOPPS, spoke highly of Stevens and the work he is doing for our community and Binghamton University students.

"Stevens is a dedicated preceptor who has supported the SOPPS' experiential education program since the first graduating class," said Schwier. "As one of our recipients of the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Preceptor of the Year Awards, Stevens' learning experiences are among the more popular options when students rank introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences. The OEE appreciates the enriching experiences Dr. Stephens offers our students and his service to the SOPPS."

Stevens' experience with Binghamton and the School of Pharmacy has been fantastic, and he's glad to have such a professional group of faculty, staff and students to partner with.

"The students, faculty and staff are very responsive, and they really take an interest in our services here," he said. "Kenneth McCall, for example, has me come to Binghamton once a year to teach about underserved populations. They're just fantastic people to work with and truly care about their students' education and exposure to different aspects of pharmacy practice."