Historically, pharmacies were places for the community to hang out - with soda fountains, lunch counters, etc. However, pharmacy has removed itself from becoming a "hangout" or third space for its local community. There is a resurgence of third space demands in local communities, however--is it time for pharmacy to come back into the community as a wellness and community hub?

1. Community
Pharmacy
as
a
Third
Space
Pharmacy
Podcast
September
2014
–
Erin
Albert,
MBA,
PharmD,
JD
Background
on
topic:
Historically,
pharmacies
were
independent,
community-­‐based
hubs
for
healthcare.
As
well,
pharmacies
also
sprung
soda
fountains
and
diners
as
a
“hook”
for
people
to
hang
out
within
a
local
community.
However,
pharmacy
to
some
extent
has
removed
itself
from
being
a
third
space
hangout.
What
is
a
Third
Space?
A
“third
space”
is
a
place
other
than
home,
school
or
work
that
people
can
meet
and
hang
out
in
within
a
local
community.
With
more
and
more
people
working
as
freelance
professionals,
along
with
the
Affordable
Care
Act
emphasizing
a
decrease
in
hospital
readmissions
and
increase
in
wellness
and
preventative
care,
pharmacies
now
are
positioned
to
seize
this
opportunity,
by
creating
“hubs”
for
the
community
and
its
citizens
to
not
only
purchase
goods
around
healthcare
and
wellness,
but
also
become
part
of
a
community
by
providing
space
where
professionals
can
meet,
discuss
and
even
educate
themselves
on
health
and
wellness,
or
simply
buy
a
cup
of
coffee
and
hop
on
the
internet
with
free
wifi.
The
pros:
-­‐pharmacists
are
maximizing
their
already
“most
accessible
health
care
professional”
status
-­‐increased
foot
traffic
-­‐opportunity
for
pharmacist
to
upsell
products
and
services
-­‐opportunity
for
pharmacist
to
own
health
and
wellness
in
local
community
-­‐visibility
for
pharmacy
as
healthcare
experts
The
cons:
-­‐Safety
–
security
could
be
an
issue
-­‐Most
pharmacies
are
not
places
one
would
want
to
“hang
out”
in
terms
of
design
-­‐Costs
associated
with
creating
a
third
space
in
a
pharmacy
–
wifi,
coffee
bar,
space
to
sit,
noise,
etc.
Examples
of
pharmacies
with
third
spaces
currently:
Dichter
Pharmacy
–
NYC
–
they
have
the
soda
shoppe/luncheonette
counter.
New
London
Pharmacy
–
NYC
-­‐
has
a
nutritional
room
counseling
set
up
(although
technically,
that’s
not
a
third
space
hangout,
I
dig
that
they
are
into
wellness
via
nutrition)
Tisane
Pharmacy
–
NYC
–
has
a
tea
and
coffee
bar
–
yay!
I’d
SO
be
there
filling
my
prescriptions!
Cowan
Drugs
–
Lebanon,
IN
–
John
Cowan
has
an
old
fashioned
lunch
room
one
of
the
family
pharmacies
–
which
last
time
I
went
in
was
PACKED.

2. Duran
Central
Pharmacy
–
Albuquerque,
NM
–
Lunch
and
pharmacy
–
and
I’m
drooling
looking
at
their
southwestern
menu
-­‐
yum!
Several
pharmacies
in
Missouri
-­‐
still
have
soda
fountains
–
yay!
Other
professions
with
interesting
third
spaces
–
could
this
apply
to
pharmacy?
LegalForce
–
bookstore/legal
advice
in
15
min
increments:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3007499/tech-­‐forecast/inside-­‐curious-­‐bricks-­‐and-­‐
mortar-­‐store-­‐legal-­‐advice-­‐books-­‐tablets
Indiana
Co-­‐working
passport
–
allows
businesspeople
to
work
one
day
a
month
at
any
co-­‐working
space
in
the
state:
http://www.indianacoworkingpassport.com/
Other
articles
that
support
this
concept:
Wikipedia
–
def
of
“third
space”
-­‐
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place
Richard
Florida
-­‐
Creative
Class
–
hotel
lobbies
as
3rd
spaces
-­‐
http://www.creativeclass.com/_v3/creative_class/2007/12/12/third-­‐place-­‐
evolution/
Walgreens
&
IDEO
collaboration
on
reinventing
retail
pharmacy
-­‐
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/things-­‐to-­‐do/the-­‐brains-­‐behind-­‐the-­‐new-­‐
walgreens