Fruth Pharmacy Partners with Gallia County Health Department for Harm Reduction Program
Recently, Fruth Pharmacy made a donation of 8,000 new syringes to the Gallia County Health Department.
The donation comes as part of a Harm Reduction Plan for the county.
“Our hepatitis rates are increasing each year – not only in Gallia County, but the country as a whole is seeing increased rates. The Gallia County Health Department wanted to be proactive to help prevent the transmission of this disease and other diseases brought on by non-sterile syringe use,” stated Latasha Alvaro, BSN, RN from the Gallia County Health Department.
The Harm Reduction Plan for Gallia County’s Health Department works like this: for every non-sterile syringe brought in, a patient will receive a sterile syringe for free. The Gallia County Health Department also has free condoms available and free educational materials for the prevention and treatment of Hepatitis & HIV.
Harm reduction plans do not use tax dollars. All items are donated by businesses and individuals.
“Because Harm Reduction Plans do not use tax dollars, we wanted to help provide some of the tools that the Gallia County Health Department needed to assist in their Harm Reduction Plan,” Tim Weber, Vice President of Fruth Pharmacy added. “The CDC has proven statistics in areas where there are Harm Reduction Plans – the numbers of infected persons goes down. Fruth Pharmacy believes we have a responsibility to the health of our communities. If we can find a way to assist organizations, such as the Gallia County Health Department, we will do so.”
The Gallia County Health Department has referral services available for drug treatment & health recovery.
If you would like to know more about the Gallia County Health Department’s programs, please contact Latasha Alvaro at 740-441-2958 or stop by the Gallia County Health Department’s offices Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. located at 499 Jackson Pike, Suite D, Gallipolis, OH 45631.
About Fruth Pharmacy
Fruth Pharmacy has been a family-owned pharmacy for over 62 years. Fruth Pharmacy has over 28 location in West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. To learn more about Fruth Pharmacy, please visit www.fruthpharmacy.com.
About Gallia County Health Department
The Gallia County Health Department, Gallipolis, Ohio, is a public agency whose purpose is to promote the health of the people and to prevent or control disease through its numerous services.
