There are no pills, inhalers or suppositories at this pharmacy. A new “Food Pharmacy” has opened at a health clinic to better serve senior citizens in D.C.’s Ward 7 and 8.
“We know that food is medicine,” Unity Health Care CEO Dr. Jessica Henderson Boyd told WTOP at the food pharmacy ribbon cutting at one of their clinics on Benning Road.
“Being able to have dietary solutions for diet-related illnesses is really critical. So if you have diabetes, really having access to foods that are low in sugar, high in protein, fresh produce,” she said.
It is a joint venture from Unity Health Care and the Capital Area Food Bank supported by grant funding from The J. Millard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
Providers will screen for social determinants of health, and if the patient has trouble accessing healthy food, they will receive a prescription for medically tailored groceries at the food pharmacy.
“They can bring that prescription down into the food pharmacy and work with the nutritionist and our care coordinator who manages the facility, and they can choose their groceries,” Boyd said.
Each patient will get 40 pounds of fresh produce, whole wheat pasta, lean meats and other healthy foods every two weeks.
“And if they need to have that food more frequently, we will home deliver it to them,” said Radha Muthiah, CEO of Capital Area Food Bank.
The response to the idea has been overwhelmingly positive from patients, according to Boyd.
“They’re so grateful because it helps their whole household, not just our older adults. They are able to bring that to their families. And that’s something that our grandparents really love to do, take care of their whole family,” she said.
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