Russell s Pharmacy and Shoppe opened in East Durham two years ago to fill this exact need. You re looking at a historically marginalized area, there are a lot of people who don t have as much transportation, they don t have as many ways to get access, to just drive down to the CVS or Walgreens or the Walmart, so they need something in the community that is very close to them that they have access to, said Dr. Darius Russell, the pharmacy manager and owner.
The nearest pharmacies to his business are both chains and are a 30-minute walk away.
Russell said being in the community also offers him a chance to form relationships and trust with his patients; a relationship that can help in the COVID-19 vaccination effort.