A new retail pharmacy is opening to the public in a first for Bridgeport Hospital.

It officially opens Tuesday and will provide a much needed resource for the community.

The brand-new pharmacy is located right in the lobby at Bridgeport Hospital.

Jill Shea with the Yale New Haven Health Pharmacy at Bridgeport Hospital says the pharmacy will not only help patients who are being discharged from the hospital but also will serve people in the community. "It helps bring access to patients who are local who you know might not have transportation to get to pharmacies that may be across town or even a few blocks away. They can walk right into the hospital, and we can fill prescriptions for them," said Shea. Many of those prescriptions are filled with a high tech Parata machine that counts the pills and bottles them. "By us ensuring that the patients are leaving the hospital with their prescriptions it helps minimize the risk of re-admission," said Shea.

The ribbon-cutting for this pharmacy was Dec. 13. The planning was months in the making.

"It's a lengthy process but we finally reached the end of the road," said Shea. The pharmacy is open seven days a week.

People will also be able to get immunizations, and medications through the Connecticut Burn Center which is right on campus.