Michigan Pharmacist Delivering Medicine By Snowmobile to Snowed-In Clients

As the polar vortex continues to keep the midwest in much of a deep freeze this week, one Michigan pharmacy is making sure their customers get the medicine they need - no matter what the weather is like.

Andrea Cusack, a pharmacist at Lake Odessa Pharmacy typically delivers prescriptions for her customers in the small community located between Grand Rapids and Lansing. But when the weather doesn't cooperate (like it hasn't been this week), Cusack knew they would have to get creative if their customers were going to get their meds.

"Blood pressure, diabetes meds, you do not want to stop those," Cusack told WILX."You want to take those continuously."

With so much snow covering the road, Cusack says she enlisted the help of her 15-year-old son to fire the snowmobile so they could make some special deliveries.

Cusack's husband shared a photo of the two on Facebook while they were leaving to make their deliveries.

"Interesting night! I made it home to see a local pharmacist leaving on her next delivery. Appears we have a new addition to Lake Odessa Pharmacy’s delivery service!" Cusack wrote on Monday.

“I can’t believe it. I truly care about people. I want to help them and to see the response around the community is overwhelming,” Cusack said, adding that they were there to serve the community.

The pharmacist has been checking in with clients, making sure they're getting the medicine they need. If not, the Lake Odessa pharmacy team fires up the snowmobile for a delivery - something they had to do again on Wednesday for a couple who had been snowed in.

The polar vortex has been blamed for at least nine deaths in several states across the midwest as the arctic blast keeps the midwest in a deep freeze. Some areas experienced temperatures nearly 50 degrees below zero on Wednesday. Experts warn that the dry frigid air can cause frostbite to occur within minutes on exposed skin.

Governors in Wisconsin, Michigan declared states of emergency and ordered the closure of all state government offices. Some agencies in Illinois have also been closed as well.

Fortunately, forecasters say the deep freeze should be easing by this weekend as a surge of milder, warmer air replaces the arctic blast. Temperatures are set to swing dramatically by 40 to 70 degrees higher than the coldest readings this week.

Cusack said they will keep using the snowmobile for as long as the bad weather continues.


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