VA Town Hall addresses pharmacy, other concerns

Several concerns are still popping up about the recently opened veterans affairs clinic in Marina.

Wednesday people had a chance to share those issues including the lack of an on-site pharmacy.

The clinic opened back in August and there are still some things VA officials are working to get up and running.

For now though, there are no plans for an on-site pharmacy but the VA says patients are still being served.

“Having pharmacies here saves lives,” said one person in attendance, “By not having a pharmacy here, some veteran, whether now or within the next two or three years will die because that pharmacy’s not here.”

Right now, veterans get medication through VA’s mail order pharmacy or a local drugstore and VA officials say it’s working.

“The deliveries are going to occur,” said health care systems director Thomas J. Fitzgerald III, “We have a 1-800 number to help with education on any kind of pharmaceutical interactions that they might have.”

But the pharmacy wasn’t the only concern brought up. Coming off of the tragic shooting in Yountville, many wanted to know about security at the clinic.

“If I, as a disabled veteran, can come in and feel that I can take them down, what is some crazed person going to do?” said veteran William Horne.

“Active assailant and active shooter type training we provide that here,” Fitzgerald said, “We want to make sure [staff] feel that they’re confident in their ability to stay safe if something happens.”

Despite all the criticism and concern, some people did have good things to say.

“It’s an incredible facility, a lot of thought was given into how it was designed,” Horne said, “It’s looking at the future to accommodate a lot of veterans and their family.”

One issue brought up in the past was how homeless veterans would get their medication.

The VA has now made it so they can have prescriptions sent to the clinic in Marina.