DALLAS — One scare was all it took for Demetray Haywood to do a 180-degree change.
“My diabetes was controlled. My high blood pressure was out of control,” said Haywood, a St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy patient. “It was scary. I could barely walk 10 steps.”
Haywood weighed 300 pounds. Last June, he spent seven days in the hospital.
“I just wasn’t feeling right. I went and talked to my doctor. They admitted me to the hospital and ran all kinds of tests…I had a lot of water weight. My heart wasn’t working right. It wasn’t functioning properly,” said Haywood. “The amount of doctors that walked through my room at the hospital let me know it was serious. They clearly let me know it was serious. You need to change your way of thinking and changing your attitude about food.”
Luckily for Haywood, change came simply from going to work. He’s worked as a courier for St. Vincent de Paul’s Pharmacy in Dallas. It is a small space with a big impact.
“Free medications with dignity. Our main goal is to have our neighbors, our patients understand that we’re here with them along the ride,” said Carlos Irula, Pharmacy Director.
Irula manages prescriptions and home shipments to thousands across the state free of cost.
“We’re a very well-kept secret. Now, the secret is out,” said Irula.
They are saving patients such as Haywood thousands a year in prescription costs.
“It’s a blessing because I meet a lot of people that can’t afford it, truly can’t afford it,” said Haywood.
“Having this ability to break that barrier of transportation, break the barrier of financial ability, now let’s just get you healthy enough,” said Haywood. “I think it’s critical for me as a pharmacist, as a father, as a husband in a system where sometimes even as a healthcare professional, I can feel lost in a huge system. I can’t imagine not speaking the language, being sick, and now trying to feel better. It’s just very important for us to have that as a staple of our mission to help our fellow human beings.”
Last year alone, the pharmacy saw its biggest numbers in prescriptions.
“We surpassed 100,000 prescriptions. Those prescriptions served nearly 4,000 unique patients through DFW and the state,” said Irula.
The pharmacy serves about 300 cities throughout Texas. That is largely due to the Parata machine or what Christie Chavez, Pharmacy Technician, calls “Mad Max.”
“Oh yeah, that machine is a blessing,” said Chavez. “That’s makes our daily flow a whole lot easier than trying to count them manually.”
The machine fills about 600 prescriptions for the pharmacy a day.
“It frees up the pharmacists and allows them to be more focused on their patient,” said Haywood.
It is a focus he needed, as he’s now down 70 pounds.
“It was important for me for my grandkids. I wanted to see them grow up…I feel better, a lot better. I don’t take my health for granted,” said Haywood. “Life is great at my age. It is great.”
To apply for St. Vincent de Paul’s free pharmacy, you can visit the clinic at 5750 Pineland Drive #280 or apply online at svpdallas.org.