After a series of pharmacies in the 19th Ward and its surrounding neighborhoods shut down in the past couple of years, the UR Medical Center (URMC) recently announced the grand opening of the Highland Brooks Landing Pharmacy.
This new location opened on Oct. 3 at 910 Genesee Street after a year of planning and aims to serve the local population in the 19th Ward, including the resident student body on its side of the Genesee River.
The Brooks Landing Pharmacy is a full-service pharmacy, which means that it offers over-the-counter medication, free prescription delivery, and on-site vaccination services, including the updated COVID vaccine, Novavax — which is still unavailable at UHS on campus.
The pharmacy accepts all major insurance plans, including Medicaid and UHS’ Aetna plan.
According to the URMC Newsroom, officials within the University and the city of Rochester say that the pharmacy will address a gap in available pharmacy locations after Walgreens announced plans to close their storefront at 792 W. Main St. in November.
The imminent closure of the W. Main Walgreens has been a contentious issue in the city of Rochester. Mayor Malik D. Evans wrote an open letter to Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Tim Wentworth imploring for a halt on the shutdown of the storefront.
Evans wrote, “As last week’s announcement by the University of Rochester Medical Center to open the Highland Pharmacy at Brooks Landing makes clear, the City of Rochester can successfully identify and support compassionate partners who share our concern for the health and safety of our residents by making sure all of neighborhoods have equitable access to pharmacy services.”
Nearly 700 students live in the University-owned residential areas in the 19th Ward — Riverview Apartments and Brooks Landing Apartments — and even more students are located in off-campus housing within the 19th Ward and Plymouth-Exchange neighborhoods.
The Highland Brooks Landing Pharmacy is a five-minute walk from the River Campus, by far closer than pharmacies such as the CVS at Mt. Hope Avenue.
In the coming flu-ridden months, UHS will only provide flu vaccines by appointment. For students interested in receiving a flu vaccine, the Highland Brooks Landing Pharmacy is now another (and potentially closer) option.
According to Vice Provost and Director of the University Health Service (UHS) Cheryl Kodjo, “This pharmacy, in addition to others, would alleviate the pressure of UHS supplying flu and COVID [vaccines].”
Students utilizing UHS can transfer their prescriptions to this new pharmacy by contacting their UHS provider.
