Akron Children’s Beeghly campus adds a pharmacy, open to the community
05-19-2026 (Mahoning Valley, Ohio)
The pharmacy is a first for the campus, said Kyle Finnerty, director of Pharmacy for Akron Children’s.
“This fills a gap in care for those patients who are being discharged,” said Finnerty. “Whether from the emergency room, a general care floor, or a clinic appointment, patients are able to leave with their medication in hand. The parent won’t have to stop at another pharmacy on the way home and hope they have the medicine in stock. This is a huge step forward in enhancing the continuity of care for our Beeghly campus patients.”
The Akron Children’s Outpatient Pharmacy specializes in pediatric medication formulations. These services include flavoring and compounding medication to meet the needs of patients. For example, a young child is much more likely to take an antibiotic if it is a cherry-flavored syrup rather than difficult-to-swallow pills.
“But you don’t have to have a child at Akron Children’s to use the pharmacy,” said Krystina Hepler, community pharmacy manager at Akron Children’s. “We are open to anyone in the community, including adults who need prescriptions filled and we accept all major insurance plans.”
Finnerty said the addition of a new pharmacy in the community is something to celebrate as more and more areas of the United States become “pharmacy deserts” due to the closing of both independent pharmacies and those which were part of large national chains.
“In 2024, there were almost 300 pharmacy closures in Ohio,” said Finnerty. “This is one of the reasons we wanted to make this not just a pharmacy for our patient families but a community pharmacy as well. It’s a commitment to our families and the community we serve.”
The pharmacy hours will be 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
