Guest Commentary: Help us support Walgreens

The Petaluma Health Care District will be returning to the Petaluma Planning Commission meeting on Oct. 14 to request support of an amended application for a Walgreens with a prescription pick-up window. The Walgreens will be located across the street from Petaluma Valley Hospital at the corner of North McDowell and Lynch Creek Way.

In June, an unofficial vote among the city council members indicated that a majority are in favor of the Walgreens with a prescription pick-up window, providing that additional energy efficient enhancements would be made to the design of the building. The proposed Walgreens building design now includes solar roof panels and energy efficient enhancements that exceed LEED silver equivalency and meet Cal Green Tier II requirements. We are confident these substantial energy saving measures will cause the building’s energy performance to far exceed the amounts required to offset the greenhouse gases produced by the prescription pick-up window.

The city council also directed the district to work with the city manager and planning department staff to determine if approval of the prescription pick-up window could be accomplished through an interpretation of the general plan or if it would require a general plan amendment. The general plan has a provision that prohibits new drive-thru food and service facilities with the exception of vehicle-serving businesses.

However, the general plan also allows for discretionary approval of facilities that demonstrate a decrease of idling vehicles to the extent feasible and practical. Our research has shown that the gas emissions generated by the prescription pick-up window are negligible, are significantly less than those produced by residents traveling to a Walgreens outside of Petaluma, and are certainly offset by the new additional energy efficient enhancements made to the building. There is no gas emission issue.

Petaluma residents agree that a prescription pick-up window will bring numerous benefits to our community. Seniors, parents and individuals with limited mobility have attended city council meetings stating that the prescription pick-up option would significantly reduce the physical burden, discomfort and inconvenience of picking up critically needed medications. For those who are sick or have a compromised immune system, utilizing the prescription window rather than entering the store could help reduce the spread of infection and disease. This is a major public health issue, especially during flu season. According to a recent unofficial online poll conducted by the Argus-Courier, 86.5 percent of participants were in favor of amending the general plan to allow a prescription pick-up window.

In addition to competitive prescription costs, Walgreens offers innovative retail pharmaceutical services that do not exist in Petaluma, such as a transitional care program that partners with local health care providers in order to ease a patient’s transition from the hospital to home and help reduce preventable hospital readmissions through medication adherence and safety. The program includes pharmacist consultation, follow up and bedside delivery for discharging patients (which would result in even less driving and emissions).

The district is seeking a favorable recommendation from planning commissioners and hopes to move forward to the city council for approval. As your public agency governed by a board of elected officials, we are dedicated to ensuring the health needs of our community are met. Our partners, including Petaluma Valley Hospital, Petaluma Health Center, Healthy Community Consortium, Petaluma People Services Center, Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce and countless numbers of residents have all expressed their support to bring Walgreens with the prescription pick-up window to Petaluma.

If you believe Petaluma residents would benefit from a Walgreens with a prescription pick-up window, please voice your opinion to the planning commission and city council via letter or phone. We also welcome supporters to join the district at the planning commission meeting on Oct. 14.

We look forward to finalizing our work with the Petaluma City Council and the planning department, and bringing this innovative provider to our city.

(Ramona Faith MSN, RN, is the CEO of the Petaluma Health Care District)