Meet Ahunna Freeman of Southside Discount Pharmacy and Aligned Care LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ahunna Freeman.

Hi Ahunna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

My story in the United States began as a high school immigrant from Nigeria. At the time, the only familiar experience was my love of sports, track & field, and soccer. I attempted to join the high school soccer team but failed miserably at keeping up; apparently, I enjoyed watching soccer more than playing it. Fortunately, I was lucky to make the track team. Being part of the track team as a new immigrant in high school was crucial in learning and understanding the culture of my new environment. I was able to make friends, communicate better and build a tolerance for the many things that frustrated my young teenage self. With the support of my family and newfound friends, I moved on to the University of North Carolina-Asheville to earn my college degree in Chemistry in 2005.  In 2009, I graduated from the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Program at Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

I have practiced in community pharmacies for well over a decade.  My passion for community pharmacy has allowed me to understand how existing differences in our communities can impact and complicate patient care outcomes.  Leveraging the differences in socioeconomic status (education, income, etc.), access to healthcare, immigration challenges to receive medical care, emphasis on preventive measures, etc are a few of my interests as a community pharmacist practitioner.  As an immigrant and a minority woman, I am aware of the barriers and challenges of navigating the US health system. I have continued to embrace key elements that are necessary for building trust when caring for my patients like simplifying health topics, practicing patience & compassion, and providing ongoing support.

In 2014, my husband and I took a leap of faith and opened an independent community pharmacy in Winston-Salem, NC, following the birth of our 2nd child. Southside Discount Pharmacy was created to serve as an affordable health hub for our diverse community with a large population of immigrants. We chose the unpopular route – we focused on patient education, disease prevention, and community pharmacy innovation.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not always been an easy route but our patients make most of the challenges bearable.  Some of the struggles we face include:
– Getting fair insurance reimbursements for services or products we provide to our deserving patients.
– Helping patients understand the multi-step processes involved in navigating the US healthcare system for basic medical needs
– Breaking the barrier on the types of services a “traditional community pharmacy” should or shouldn’t provide
– Becoming multi-culturally conscious to effectively meet the needs of our diverse group of patients

Great, so let’s talk business. Please tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others.
My businesses are healthcare businesses under the profession of pharmacy. In these businesses, I wear multiple hats.   My roles range from being a pharmacy preceptor for pharmacy schools in NC, a clinical pharmacist in an independent community pharmacy and in a primary care office, a pharmacy consultant/speaker on preventive health topics, an advocate for patients, and a business owner.

Southside Discount Pharmacy is an independent community pharmacy that is more than a medication dispensary. Here, the focus is on the clinical aspect of community pharmacy (disease prevention & detection, patient education, wellness support) and a focus on the extended supply of affordable generics.

At Aligned Care LLC, we focus on preventive care and collaborate with other healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes. We also educate other healthcare providers on how to implement and establish our services in their practices.

What sets us apart from others is our compassion. Many of our patients find us by word-of-mouth and come to us at their most desperate times for assistance. Our patients and other healthcare providers in the community are usually surprised to learn about all the services we offer beyond dispensing medications. We are most proud of our willingness to explore our options within the scope of practice to ensure that our community members have access to health equity.

What matters most to you? Why?
Health equity and ensuring that every community member has access to the basics they need were very evident during the COVID pandemic. There are many challenges involved in leveling the health equity playground. Still, we must keep seeing these challenges as opportunities to positively impact those who need them the most because I can identify with many of the patients who I am honored to care for.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SouthsideDiscountRx.com, www.AlignedCareLLC.com
• Instagram: Southside Discount Pharmacy
• Facebook: Southside Discount Pharmacy