from staff reports



A state-of-the-art facility with more room to better serve patients are among Vital Care of Meridian’s offerings at its new location.

Previously located in Acme Plaza, the 22-year-old pharmacy opened the doors this week to its new home at the corner of 15th Street and 23rd Avenue (across from Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center). The 16,000 square foot facility is equipped with many new features: sterile and non-sterile pharmaceutical compounding labs, several private infusion suites, patient education areas, and office space for employees. 

“There’s no comparison to where we were and where we are now,” said Amanda Williamson, marketing director.

While investing in its high-tech facility, Vital Care is also investing in the next generation of pharmacists. The second floor of the facility includes two fully furnished apartments provided free of charge to doctor of pharmacy students from Ole Miss, Samford and Auburn on five- to seven-week clinical practice rotations.

Vital Care of Meridian is a high-tech, specialized pharmacy that provides many products and services to patients in the East Mississippi/West Alabama area, as well as across the Southeast. In sterile cleanrooms, pharmacists and highly trained pharmacy technicians prepare medications for IV use.

“In fact, the air in these clean rooms may be some of the best air in Meridian since Vital Care fully complies with federal regulations that mandate sterile IV preparation conditions,” Williamson said.

The sterile cleanrooms, engineered according to federal specification, contain clean HEPA filtered air. The clean room is divided into three actual rooms, two of which are positive air pressure environments with the third room having a negative air pressure environment. Medications prepared in these rooms are used in patients’ homes or in one of Vital Care’s four private infusion suites. Medications in these suites are administered and monitored by Vital Care’s own staff registered nurse.

Other services provided in the infusion suites include Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICC). A PICC is a specific type of IV line that is required by certain medications to reduce the possible irritation of the blood vessels in the arm. Several medications used to treat the infection MRSA, often referred to as the “Superbug”, require this type of IV line. This service is performed using ultrasound technology by the PICC Certified RN. Vital Care is accredited by ACHC (Accreditation Commission for Health Care).

Vital Care is often considered a “problem-solving” pharmacy because it prepares compounded prescription products. These products are medications made from the raw chemical ingredients into the appropriate dosage form and strength for each individual patient. For example, some patients may be allergic to certain preservatives or dyes included in some commercially available liquid medications. 

Another common problem Vital Care encounters with its patients is chronic pain. The facility’s pharmacists consult with local physicians to formulate creams that contain multiple medications, which target patients’ specific source of pain. For many patients a topically applied cream is the best approach to treatment since many medications are not tolerated well when taken by mouth. 

One of the most requested compounded products at Vital Care is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) – recently featured on “Oprah” with Suzanne Somers and Robin McGraw. The raw ingredients used in these compounded products are chemically identical to the hormones the body produces.

As with all prescription products prepared at Vital Care, the pharmacists work with local physicians to treat patients with hormone replacement needs. The final product is prepared specifically for each patient based on saliva and blood hormone levels.

Vital Care is one of few pharmacies in Mississippi that distributes specialty drugs throughout the Southeast region. These drugs include Synagis, a RSV preventative injection for premature infants and other biologic injectable drugs used to treat chronic conditions. Also known for their respiratory services, Vital Care has a respiratory therapist on staff to set-up and monitor breathing machines such as C-PAPs, Bi-PAPs, and nebulizers.

  Vital Care originated in Livingston, Ala., in 1986, and shortly thereafter developed a franchise model and spread throughout the Southeast. The original Vital Care franchise and the Vital Care, Inc. corporate headquarters made their move to Meridian in 1992. The corporate office moved to the Sonny Montgomery Industrial Park and today employs about 70 people that provide training, billing, clinical, and quality assurance support for the 100 franchises in 19 states.