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Walgreens reaches out to cancer patients with Feel More Like You program
Walgreens recently launched its groundbreaking new Feel More Like You program for cancer patients in 100 of its Colorado stores, including the location at 15 Sun Road in Avon.
The free, in-store program is described as “a pharmaceutical and beauty oncology offering that helps cancer patients manage the medical and physical changes associated with treatment.”
Piloted in more than 400 stores nationwide in 2018, the service is provided by specially trained pharmacists and beauty consultants who can recommend products to help manage the side effects of treatment such as skin rash, fatigue, mouth sores and dry mouth.
“It’s a program for oncology patients … and also their caretakers … and what we do is just become that support system for them,” said Walgreens beauty consultant Sasha Campbell-Lott. “It’s finding those products and really catering to the things that come home with cancer or the treatment of cancer, like skin rashes and things like that.”
Campbell-Lott also said Feel More Like You can help with hair loss associated with chemo, providing products that can help with growing hair back or treating dry hair. And the program is perfect for helping with makeup for skin discoloration, or products for dry nails and cuticles.
“When I’ve had had those patients come in, they’re looking for vitamin e oil or cuticle oil, and so it’s just being that support and being informed in the types of products that we carry in the store that could cater to those customers that’s going to be non-chemical and then dermatology approved,” Campbell-Lott said, adding the program often works directly with local oncologists.
In developing Feel More Like You and training more than 15,000 of its pharmacists and beauty consultants, Walgreens collaborated with Cancer Support Community — the largest professional nonprofit network of cancer support in the world — and Look Good, Feel Better, a leading cancer support program focused on the appearance and beauty needs of cancer patients.
Campbell-Lott said the program can be a very uplifting experience at a very tough time.
“A lot of times we think that these moments are going to be somber, that it’s going to be very sad and gloomy, and fortunately the patients that I’ve had were just very optimistic. They were very friendly,” Campbell-Lott said. “They were very excited for this new chapter of growing their hair back and getting themselves back out there as far as beauty’s concerned.”
Walgreens raise millions of dollars each year for organizations seeking cures for cancer such as Komen, Stupid Cancer and LLS (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society). It also has a separate program focused on skin care and preventing skin cancer – an issue of particular concern at higher altitudes under the intensely sunny skies of Colorado.
For more information, go to Walgreens’ Feel More Like You website, where there’s a “Find a store” link for the nearest participating Walgreens store. Locally, the Avon store at 15 Sun Road participates in the program and has a trained beauty consultant. Appointments aren’t necessary, but you can call ahead at (970) 949-8097 for the consultant’s work schedule.
Editor’s note: A version of this story ran in the Vail Daily on May 9.
David O. Williams
