Alpida Pharmacy

Alpida Pharmacy provides specialized services for specialty medications, hospices, and residential and assisted living facilities of all sizes.

“From retail and long-term care to specialty infusions, I have worked in almost every aspect of this industry. When I decided to open my own pharmacy, I knew exactly the challenges that palliative care and hospice patients face,” says Will Wassef, president of Alpida. “At Alpida, we are dedicated to providing exceptional care for patients and serve as a partner to healthcare professionals.”

One of hospice and palliative care patients’ biggest challenges is access to medication at the right time. Alpida addresses this by implementing an automated delivery system that allows it to track all the deliveries and provide accurate ETAs for time-sensitive medications.

The pharmacy’s local presence always gives it an edge while serving the San Diego community and neighboring areas. It can directly work in liaison with the nurses and hospice directors to guarantee optimal clinical outcomes for patients. Its pharmacy team is trained on medication conversion from IV to PO and vice versa, eliminating the pressure on nurses and physicians.

“We work with them as a team, not as a vendor. Their success is our success,” says Wassef.

Another roadblock for hospices and palliative care programs is the high cost of medications.Alpida provides these facilities with alternative medications and ensures they only use what is necessary to reduce unnecessary expenses. It also analyzes the effectiveness of each medication to identify any duplicates or unnecessary prescriptions.

Alpida goes the extra mile to help clients deal with the issue of delayed emergency orders or late deliveries. The pharmacy has designed a streamlined refill system. It contacts patients directly to ensure they have enough medication. With this proactive approach, Alpida has been able to help hospice and palliative care programs reduce additional burdens.

“When it comes to customer service, we go above and beyond to meet everyone’s expectations. In some cases, if we are unable to dispense a specific medication, we help patients get the medication from a different pharmacy,” says Wassef. “We also ease patients’ financial burden by providing assistance in obtaining copay cards and identifying relevant funding programs.”

Every patient has different health issues, and Alpida is always ready to find solutions to meet each patient’s needs. For instance, a palliative care patient with bone cancer was undergoing severe pain. Alpida, along with the hospice directors, came up with a plan to control the pain. Its expertise and knowledge in pain management relieved the patient within two days.

The biggest contributor to Alpida’s success is its ability to dispense medications promptly and offer recommendations for better treatments or alternative medication that would work better for the patients. In an emergency, its pharmacist staffs are always ready to deliver orders for the needs of senior living residents.

Consisting of a team of experienced pharmacists with vast clinical knowledge, Alpida understands what palliative care is, the needs and challenges, and how to deal with hospices and nurses in treating patients. It aims to deliver the best care for end-of-life patients who deserve proper treatment and observation.