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Key Points

• McKesson launched Project Oasis to improve access to care and advance health equity in underserved communities.
• Altev Community Pharmacy is the first Project Oasis launch, bringing pharmacy access to Avondale, Ohio.
• One in four neighborhoods across the U.S. are considered pharmacy deserts, where residents lack convenient access to pharmacy services.
• Community pharmacies can help address health disparities by offering education, health literacy and access beyond prescriptions. 

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According to Dr. Dima Qato, an associate professor at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, . are considered "pharmacy deserts" – urban areas where residents lack convenient access to pharmacy services. In these deserts, communities and their residents face many challenges acquiring necessary medications and healthcare products. The absence of resources can exacerbate existing healthcare inequalities, particularly in underserved and marginalized populations.

To address this issue, McKesson has launched Project Oasis, a collaborative effort led by McKesson's Global Impact Organization and Community Pharmacy & Health, to improve access to care and advance health equity for at-risk populations in underserved communities.

In this article and video, we explain McKesson's role in bringing a new pharmacy – Altev Community Pharmacy – to Avondale, Ohio, a neighborhood with limited pharmacy access, and introduce owner and lead pharmacist, Dr. Emmanuel "Manny" Ayanjoke.

What is Project Oasis?

Project Oasis is McKesson's initiative that aims to improve access to essential community care services by empowering licensed pharmacists to own and operate independent community pharmacies through an expedited path.

Altev Community Pharmacy is the first launch of Project Oasis.

How does McKesson help?

To facilitate this effort, McKesson's  provided support to pharmacy professionals who want to sell, purchase, or transfer independent pharmacies. This support includes:

• Location scouting
• Community engagement
• Consulting to support a smooth transition into ownership

Why Avondale, Ohio?

The journey to establish this pharmacy was meticulous and deliberate. The process began with assessing dozens of communities nationwide through direct engagement and focus groups to understand their needs for a local pharmacy.

After conducting extensive research, Avondale, Ohio—a neighborhood within Cincinnati—was selected as the location for the first installment of Project Oasis.

Avondale is an underserved community without any pharmacies within a one-mile radius. This lack of access can worsen residents' health outcomes, including limited availability of:

• Consultations
• Vaccines
• Screenings
• Community resources and programs

How does having a pharmacy in Avondale benefit the community?

In underserved areas such as Avondale, community pharmacies can serve as a lifeline to their residents while helping tackle health disparities.

Beyond prescriptions, these pharmacies offer education and health literacy needed to access, afford and adhere to medications. Ultimately, McKesson hopes that Altev Community Pharmacy will bring hope and trust to patients in the Avondale community.

What's next?

McKesson has a longstanding history as an essential advocate and partner for community pharmacies to sustain, grow, and improve their economic health and efficiency.

We hope to replicate the efforts of this first Project Oasis initiative in other pharmacy deserts throughout the country.