Health

Latino Pharmacist Bridging Cultural, Language Gaps on Chicago’s Northwest Side

A local pharmacist is determined to bridge gaps in his community.

Freddy Gomez, 26, is a first-generation Mexican American who works as a Walgreens pharmacy manager on the Northwest Side.

“When you go to the pharmacy, you typically don’t expect a kid like me in a white coat,” Gomez said.

The Belmont Cragin pharmacy where he works serves a large Latino population.

“I love giving back, and the thing is, us pharmacists, we’re the most accessible health care provider in the community,” Gomez said. “For example, in this neighborhood, (there are) a lot of uninsured, underinsured patients. So if they have anything going on, they’re going to come to me first to avoid the cost or the troubles of going to a hospital without having insurance. Because it’s scary for them.”

Born and raised in Chicago, Gomez began working at his local Walgreens as a customer sales associate during high school. After graduating, he began exploring potential paths for his future career.

He recalled a moment from his childhood where he translated for his mother at a pharmacy because the pharmacist didn’t speak Spanish.

“I told him, ‘I could help with that,’” Gomez recalled.

Through a tuition assistance program from Walgreens, students can receive financial aid to pursue a career in a pharmacy. Gomez said he benefited from scholarships that helped him earn his doctorate from Roosevelt University.

Now Gomez hopes to inspire other young Latinos to pursue careers as pharmacists.

“In the pharmacy profession there’s not a lot of Hispanic pharmacists, Mexican pharmacists, but it’s important for us to be here — not just because we speak the same language. We share the same values, we understand the same struggles, same culture,” Gomez said, adding that that connection builds trust.

The son of immigrant parents, Gomez said he proudly gives back to the community that shaped him, using his bilingual skills to serve others and stand as a bridge between cultures.

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