Page 7 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - July 14, 2021

JULY 14, 2021 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 7
Keeping Hawai‘i Healthy Remains A Priority For Longs Drugs
FROM PAGE 6
Dr. Daniel Sabin, pharmacy manager in ‘Āina Haina, Longs Drugs/CVS Hawai‘i
Jon Higa, assistant general manager, Longs Drugs/CVS Hawai‘i
Fran Nakoa, district leader, Longs Drugs/CVS Hawai‘i
Dan Clarkson, district leader, Longs Drugs/CVS Hawai‘i
As pharmacy manager of Longs Drugs in ‘Āina Haina, Dr. Daniel Sabin is most proud of the interpersonal relationships he’s developed with customers over the past five years. Since day one on the job, he’s made himself available to just about every person who enters the store at 5156 Kalaniana‘ole Hwy., willingly sharing quality health advice while taking the time to get to know people beyond their names.
As a result, customers have grown to view him as both friend and confidant.
“The connection that I’ve built with folks is so much deeper than just the profes- sional level,” explains Sabin. “When you know somebody like that, it allows them to open up to you and to trust you.”
A native of the Beaver State, Sabin attended Oregon State University’s College of Phar- macy, where he met and fell in love with a fellow student from the Aloha State.
“Once we finished school, she came back home and I fol- lowed,” he says.
That was in 2009, the same year that he joined Longs Drugs/CVS Hawai‘i as “a float- ing pharmacist” working at stores across the Hawaiian Island chain. The mobile job not only increased his appre- ciation of Longs Drugs and its far-reaching impact on customers statewide, but also
placed him in the enviable position of being groomed by knowledgeable and ex- perienced managers and co-workers.
“I really got to see what Longs had to offer, and I got to meet and network with a lot of great people and learn from them,” recalls Sabin of those days.
Today, he leads a highly trained and attentive staff that not only specializes in prescrip- tion medications, health care products, beauty products and other remedies, but also con- sistently ranks within the top 5% in the company (there are more than 7,200 CVS Pharmacy locations throughout the coun- try) based upon the number of immunizations it administers.
Sabin calls Longs Drugs’ ability to provide preventative medicine to Hawai‘i’s commu- nities “unmatched.”
“The data is clear: People who come to our pharmacies have better outcomes,” says Sa- bin. “They’re better at staying on their medications because we have services to help keep them compliant. We’re also accessible because our reach is far and wide.
“So, there are so many things that go into it that allow us to really be there for people.”
And being there for others is what the always-accessible pharmacist from Longs Drugs is all about.
Higa believes the campaign
“According to the most recent CDC household pulse survey COVID-19 vaccina- tion tracker, 17.6% of adults 18 years and over are hesi- tant about receiving a vac- cine,” says Higa. “Through
Aside from offering a number of vaccinations at its
SEE PAGE 9
pharmacies — which include those for influenza, pneumo- nia, shingles, chicken pox and meningitis — Longs Drugs is also helping patients better manage their prescrip- tion regimens, all while sav- ing them money and earning rewards.
Pharmacy manager Dr. Daniel Sabin leads a team of talented individuals at Longs Drugs in ‘Āina Haina. They include Dr. Sara Lum (far right) and pharmacy techs Toni-Lyn Park and Kris Nagayama.
The hearts of employees are always a part of every charitable cause for Longs Drugs, but especially when it involves the American Heart Association and its “Go Red for Women” day. PHOTO COURTESY LONGS DRUGS/CVS HAWAI‘I
For example, Higa notes the drugstore’s ScriptSync program aligns prescription refills for patients with var- ious maintenance medica- tions, allowing them to be picked up or delivered at the same time. Additionally, its ScriptPath prescription man- agement system automatical- ly reviews a patient’s current prescription information and prescribers’ instructions, and provides them with a sched- ule of the most effective times of day to take each medication.
Procter & Gamble — with the former handing out 100 seven-day cruises for two to destinations that include the Caribbean, Alaska and Eu- rope, and the latter offering a VIP trip for two to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. (For a list of what other par- ticipating companies are of- fering, see page 9.)
could be the shot in the arm needed to ease concerns and eliminate reticence among the millions of Americans who remain unvaccinated.
the #OneStepCloser sweep- stakes, we are working to close gaps in hesitancy, pro- vide a positive reminder of the activities that are possi- ble for people once they are vaccinated, and thank our customers who chose CVS Health to receive this import- ant vaccine.”
“These programs help with medication adherence and make it more conve- nient for patients to access their prescriptions, even when spending more time at home,” he explains, add- ing that customers can also earn up to $50 in ExtraBucks Rewards through the Extra- Care Pharmacy & Health