VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Rite Aid, the third-largest pharmacy in the country, is all-in on the effort to get Virginia and the rest of the country through this pandemic.
On Tuesday, the company’s president and CEO Heyward Donigan visited one of the company’s first newly revamped “stores of the future” on Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach.
“You can’t imagine the pride of being a part of the biggest public health issue, solving the biggest public health issue in 100 years,” said Donigan.
Donigan is no stranger to the area.
“I was born in Virginia, went to the University of Virginia, live in Virginia Beach. My parents are both from Franklin, so this home for me,” Donigan said. “This is a really special day for me to do something to benefit our community. That’s what makes me proud.”
While the Rite Aid on Princess Anne Road offers free testing, they have yet to receive any vaccines. Donigan says they’re ready to give vaccines in Virginia Beach when they receive the supply.
Rite Aid is part of the federal rollout in five states. Virginia isn’t one of them. So the company is instead working with localities to get doses. They’ve been able to offer vaccines in Chesapeake, through working with the city, since early February.
According to Donigan, Rite Aids currently give out all three approved vaccines; Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.
For the past few years, Rite Aid has worked to re-envision its role in the healthcare industry. The store Donigan visited Tuesday in Virginia Beach embodies that new vision. The new store has restructured the pharmacy, added more on-trend items, as well as added virtual care rooms for telehealth.
“I think that’s really one of the most important things is we’re an extension of the healthcare system in Virginia Beach,” explained Donigan.
Looking to the future, Donigan expects COVID-19 testing and vaccinations to become routine services at Rite Aids for years to come.
“I think we will be in a situation where a store like this flagship store will be routinely giving COVID vaccines. That will just be a part of our daily life here. And I don’t think COVID testing is going away anytime soon either.”