ROCHESTER, NY – When we pick up a prescription, we look for advice from the pharmacist, such as whether or not to take it with food, or possible drug interactions. At Wegmans Food Markets, pharmacy customers get that kind of help and more. Because foods and lifestyle choices also play powerful roles in health and wellness, pharmacists at Wegmans get regular briefings on current scientific research in this area, and they’re encouraged to share findings with customers, when appropriate.
“There’s so much good science showing that people lower their risk of many health problems when they make healthy food choices and include regular exercise in their routines,” says Brian Pompo, coordinator of wellness and clinical services for pharmacy at Wegmans, and a pharmacist himself.
“As health professionals, pharmacists know that food and medication play different but mutually supportive roles in helping customers lead healthier lives. We do give customers the counsel they need and want regarding medications, but we also believe that sharing how food supports health helps customers. That’s why we’ve created our ‘eat well live well stations’ near the pharmacy.” These teaching areas have food displays with a health story to tell, and they change with the season.
In warm months, freshly harvested foods like berries, melons, or tomatoes may appear. The produce symbolizes one of the core principles of Wegmans’ eat well live well philosophy, to eat five cups of fruits and vegetables every day. Doing so can help people maintain a healthy weight, reduce their sodium intake, regulate digestion, and maintain better blood pressure and cholesterol readings.
In cold months, foods that help fight colds and flu, such as orange juice or soups might be on display. In between seasons, displays might feature other smart foods such as low-fat and fat-free dairy products or heart healthy whole-grain breads and cereals.
Wegmans’ registered dietitians meet regularly with Pompo to review current scientific research about food, health and wellness, and to develop reference materials for pharmacists. “We look for well-established findings about the healthful properties of given foods or food groups,” Pompo says. “There may be a display featuring Wegmans products containing omega-3s. We provide pharmacists with the education piece, such as what the American Heart Association recommends, how much to consume, or what to avoid.”
Conversations between customers and pharmacists about displays at the stations seem to arise naturally in the normal course of business. A couple of examples:
A customer picks up a prescription to lower her blood pressure and the pharmacist counsels her about the medication. He gives her a free card where she can make note of her blood pressure readings, and explains the importance of recording those measurements regularly. The pharmacist also mentions that there are some additional things she could do to help lower her blood pressure – such as eating more fruits and vegetables, like those on display. He tells her research shows that people who eat five cups of fruits and vegetables a day may bring down their blood pressures by 8 to 14 points.
A customer has some questions for the pharmacist about the cholesterol-lowering drug he has begun taking and says his doctor mentioned that some foods could also help him lower his cholesterol, but now he doesn’t recall what they were. The pharmacist says fiber-rich, whole-grain foods, like those on display – rolled oats and whole grain breads and cereals are “heart healthy” choices. A quick way to spot them when shopping for groceries is to look for the heart healthy wellness key on Wegmans-brand items – it signals that the food in the package meets nutrition guidelines for maintaining cardiovascular health.
“For generations, people have trusted pharmacists’ advice about medications and about a wide range of family health questions,” says Pompo. “We see an opportunity for our pharmacists to build on the role they have as patient care advocates in our customers’ lives. When they share what they’ve learned about the role of food in supporting good health, it provides additional information and support to the customer. Simple tips can go a long way to encourage change, and those tips can really add up to help benefit the customer!”
