BRIEF: New Pharmacy Offers Culturally Appropriate, Accessible Health Care

by Susan Fried

Dr. Ahmed Ali and Dr. Abdirahman Tache hope to make healthcare more accessible and more culturally appropriate at their Othello Station Pharmacy, which opened in November. The doctors hope to serve the community by addressing health disparities, including substance abuse, chronic disease, and cancer.

"One of the things that we recognize and understand in addressing health disparities in communities of color and particularly in Southeast Seattle and South King County is that the pharmacy is usually the first line of providers that patients and communities have access to, and it is also often the last line of accessibility to the healthcare system," Ali said.

The doctors and the Rainier Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting for the new pharmacy Nov. 19. The pharmacy is located at 4219 Othello Street.

The two doctors have similar stories. Both men immigrated from Africa, attended school and college in the United States and worked at pharmacists in Seattle before starting their own business. Ali's family arrived in South Seattle more than 20 years ago. He attended high school in the area, went off to college, received a degree in pharmacy, and worked as a pharmacist. What he really wanted to do was open a pharmacy in South Seattle.

"One of my biggest dreams and ambitions was to return to the area where I grew up, the same neighborhood that welcomed us as refugees, and be able to practice what I love the most which is pharmacy," Ali said.

In addition to providing normal pharmaceutical services, the Othello Pharmacy is also a drug drop-off site where people can dispose of expired or no longer needed medications.

Featured Photo: Pharmacists Dr. Ahmed Ali and Dr. Abdirahman Tache stand behind the counter of their new pharmacy. (Photo: Susan Fried)