A line of patients had already started to form outside Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary before their doors opened at 11 a.m. Tuesday morning. According to staff, this has been the norm since Utah’s newest medical cannabis pharmacy started selling products less than a month ago.
Driving past them in a black 2012 Volkswagen Touareg, South Ogden resident Fernando Lopez, didn’t bother pulling into any of the available parking spaces at the pharmacy’s location at 3775 S. Wall Avenue – he had special cargo with him.
Utah medical cannabis patient Nicole McGarry, left, and friend Fernando Lopez, wait to receive medical cannabis in the drive thru at Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, in Ogden. McGarry was the first patient to use Perfect Earth’s drive thru during it’s grand opening Tuesday morning. Photo Credit – Matt Herp
Riding shotgun was Utah medical cannabis patient and Proposition 2 advocate, Nicole McGarry. She’s taking a different route to get her usual medicine by utilizing the drive-thru window to purchase her cannabis flower instead of waiting in line.
It’s not quite as convenient as a late-night Taco Bell run, but if you’re a medical cannabis patient in Utah, picking up supplies at your local pharmacy just got much easier.
As of Tuesday, both Dragonfly Wellness and Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary medical cannabis pharmacies will be offering drive-thru services for returning patients.
“I feel so much safer visiting the pharmacy now and I think that a lot of other patients with weak immune systems, like me, will too,” said McGarry through a safety mask and car window after purchasing some Sundae Driver cannabis flower.
McGarry was selected by pharmacy staff at Perfect Earth to be the symbolic first to use the new services in honor of her dedicated backing of Proposition 2 and her use of medical cannabis in her heroic battle against her illness.
Last week, Salt Baked City featured McGarry’s struggle with gastroparesis, which lead to her using medical cannabis, instead of 27 prescribed medications, to thwart the many ailments stemming from her stomach disease.
“I was literally bed-bound for two years and slated to die by my doctors,” McGarry said. “Now that the prescription drug fog has been lifted, I can function on cannabis. If you would have tried to talk to me a year ago on my opiates, I might not have been able to form a complete sentence.”
Dragonfly Wellness, located at 711 S. State Street in Salt Lake City was the first in Utah to offer drive-thru services. They opened this service on Memorial Day to honor veteran medical cannabis patients.
Patients are still required to obtain a medical card or a recommendation letter from a qualified medical practitioner before visiting a Utah pharmacy. Step-by-step instructions on how to obtain a card or letter can be found on the Utah Department of Health website.Pharmacy operators also warn those visiting their locations for the first time still need to visit with a pharmacist inside before using the drive-thru services.
“We’re so excited to finally have drive-thru service available for our many Ogden patients,” said Tim Pearl, Director of Operations at Perfect Earth. “Our staff has put a lot of work into making sure our at-risk patients are able to practice social distancing during these difficult times.”
The pharmacy had 15 vehicles utilize their drive-thru Tuesday, according to Mario Enriquez, Perfect Earth Medical Cannabis Associate.
Returning patients to local pharmacies that are using the drive-thru can either order through the window, located outside the old bank teller stalls, or call in their orders beforehand.
Dragonfly Wellness has an online option to place orders on their website, and another to view available inventory before visiting. Cash is still required for all purchases.
Both locations are open 11 a.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
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