COLUMBUS, Ohio — PrimaryOne Health and AndHealth celebrated the opening of PrimaryOne Health’s retail and specialty pharmacy on April 29th. The ribbon cutting marked the expansion of PrimaryOne Health’s pharmacy services where patients can access prescription, specialty, and over-the-counter medications, regardless of insurance coverage or income.
PrimaryOne Health’s pharmacy services are powered by a partnership with AndHealth, a Columbus-based healthcare company that helps CHCs radically improve access and outcomes to specialty care. Ohioans can now fill their prescriptions directly through PrimaryOne Health’s pharmacy, where affordable medications are available to all patients under PrimaryOne Health’s sliding fee scale.
Addressing Ohio’s Pharmacy Deserts and Improving Medication Access
According to new data released by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, pharmacy closures have accelerated, and the state has lost hundreds of pharmacies over the past several years, leaving Ohioans with less than 2,000 retail pharmacies. Nearly 2 million Ohioans live in “pharmacy deserts,” or areas that lack convenient access to a pharmacy.
These access deserts disproportionately impact individuals in socially vulnerable communities, who face additional barriers to access and care, making the role of pharmacies located at CHCs even more central to improving community health in Ohio.
“Ensuring our patients have access to affordable medications is critical to developing healthy communities,” said Fikru Nigusse, who joined PrimaryOne Health as CEO in February of 2025. “This pharmacy expansion represents a reversal of Ohio’s recent trends of pharmacy consolidation and closure and ensures our neighbors have access to the medications they need directly within their community.”
AndHealth partners with Community Health Centers (CHCs) to expand access to care by addressing pharmacy and care deserts. “CHCs safeguard against deserts by providing critical care to the communities they serve,” said Matt Scantland, CEO of AndHealth. “We're thrilled to expand our partnership with PrimaryOne Health to now offer rheumatology, dermatology, neurology, and pharmacy services to the people of Franklin County."
PrimaryOne Health’s ribbon cutting took place at its 3433 Agler Road location at 1:00 P.M. on April 29th. Remarks began at 1:30 and included Director of Pharmacy Services Dr. Olivia Nathan, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Franklin County Commissioner Erica C. Crawley, State Representative Dontavious Jarrells, PrimaryOne Health COO Nichole Gomez, PrimaryOne Health Board Member Dustin McKee, and AndHealth National Medical Director Dr. Myles Spar.
