I don’t know why we called it Joe’s. Our neighborhood independent drugstore (yes, it was in a neighborhood) in the midsized Eastern North Carolina town where I grew up was owned by Mike Brown, but, to us kids, it was Joe’s. It was a place where you could bicycle to pick up a prescription…and get a fresh-dipped ice cream cone and a birthday gift for Mom that suited a 12-year-old’s budget. But, more than that, it was a place where Mr. Brown – and everyone who shopped there – knew your name, how well you were doing in school and all the ways your kid brother drove you crazy.
Today, you’ll find the Joes’ have been replaced by the big chain pharmacies. Even Sutton’s Drug Store, a Franklin Street institution for more than 90 years, recently sold its pharmacy business to CVS, one of two big chain pharmacies on Franklin Street. In the squeeze by corporate healthcare to leverage profits by partnering with chain drug stores, it can be hard to rationalize going it alone. But that’s just what people are doing. Sure, they’re pharmacists but, at heart, they’re entrepreneurs enticed by the freedom (and pure pleasure) of running a small independent business.
For David Smithwick, R.Ph., of Chapel Hill’s Southern Village Pharmacy, it was time. After 13 years in the corporate sector, he was ready to pursue his dream when he graduated from pharmacy school in the early 1990s. “I wanted the flexibility and independence to provide service the way I see fit,” he explains. “If I feel like my customer service isn’t up to par, I can hire people to help me deliver the service I want. If I’m part of a chain, my headcount might get cut even though I’m busy. Now, I have more flexibility to respond to customer needs, stock the products I want and staff up, as needed.”
Greg Vassie, pharmacist and owner/partner of Pittsboro Discount Drugs and two other pharmacies for 10 years, agrees. “I worked at a big chain drugstore and they were more concerned with high volume,” he says. “Now, as an independent, I can meet patients instead of meet quotas, and there’s more freedom and less stress.”
For Lydia Mikhaylyants, who worked in big chains for six years and is now owner and pharmacist at Governors Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, it’s all about her patients. “When you work for a big company, they have certain measures you have to meet and you often feel rushed and don’t spend as much time with patients,” she states. “Now, I have time for my patients. I know their names and addresses, their doctors, their conditions, their families and their medicines, which means I’m doing my job well and taking care of people the way I intend.”
All three pharmacies do some compounding, an essential component of the business for more than 100 years. “Compounding is making products that aren’t commercially available,” says Vassie. “It’s also a way of individualizing medicines. If a child is sick and doesn’t like the medicine, we turn it into a lollipop or flavor it or create a different delivery system so the child will take it. Manufactured medicine comes in certain dosages but what if the patient needs a different level? We can create different dosages, forms and strengths to meet the patient’s need.” Most compounding is used to create dermatology products, creams, ointments, mouthwashes and hormone replacement therapies.
While the disadvantages are what you’d expect, the risk of running a small business and, of course, competition (bigger chain stores can have more buying power with insurance companies and may be able to negotiate better on reimbursement rates), the pharmacists are enthusiastic about the advantages of an independent pharmacy to customers. Smithwick creates an orderly and friendly experience with prompt service and plenty of time to ask questions.
“We’re about relationship,” Vassie muses. “Not that big-box pharmacists don’t do a good job, but, sometimes management forces them to make numbers rather than connect with individuals.” For Mikhaylyants, the advantage is safety. “I can see that by taking more time, I’m helping people and improving quality of life, especially in my older population. They might take up to 10 drugs – all with possible interactions and side effects. It’s great to help manage that and make a difference.”
The future is exciting – and all about caring for the patient. Vassie looks forward to being part of an electronically connected medical team and collaborating with physicians to deliver excellent patient outcomes. He’s also interested in preventive medicine such as weight management and cholesterol and blood pressure screenings. Mikhaylyants is eager to work with pharmacogenomics, potentially reimbursable genetic testing using a simple cheek swab of a patient to see which enzymes – and so, which medicines – will work best for that individual. It’s a very personalized model of healthcare that can accelerate finding the right, most easily tolerated drug.
In a world where every street corner boasts a big chain drugstore, Mikhaylyants still feels independents are increasingly relevant. She’s right. According to the NCPA, National Community Pharmacists Association, nearly half of prescriptions are filled by independent pharmacies. “Patients benefit so much when a community pharmacy is watching out for them, making sure they’re taking the right medicines the right way, remembering negative reactions and allergies,” Mikhaylyants concludes. “And people are craving community; patients often stop by to just say hi. We’re the most easily accessible health professional customers have, a simple phone call away, able to give immediate feedback. And we’re always willing to talk.”
What You Can Expect From an Independent Pharmacy *They’ll know your name (and your kids’ names and your dog’s name and….) That’s the whole reason they went independent in the first place. Which leads to point # 2…. *You’ll get unparalleled customer service. Because they’re independent, they’re able to choose to spend more time with customers, really getting to know you and your needs. *They consider themselves part of your medical home and will strive to make sure you get exactly what you need, exactly how you need it. *For the most part, you’ll pay the same price as in the big chain stores: Co-pays don’t change. *They don’t carry everything a big chain drugstore does: no toys, groceries, make-up and discounted Thanksgiving decorations. Most focus primarily on medicines, medical aids, vitamins, herbals and the occasional home product. *They don’t have the extensive hours that big chain stores do – that’s another reason they went independent. *To a person, they love what they do and, more importantly, how they do it. And it shows!
Ready to declare your independence? Check out these area independent pharmacies:
Southern Village Pharmacy, Chapel Hill
southernvillagepharmacy.com
Governors Pharmacy, Chapel Hill
governorspharmacy.com
Carrboro Family Pharmacy, Carrboro
carrborofamilypharmacy.com/
Pittsboro Discount Drugs, Pittsboro
919-542-7283
Ashworth Drugs, Cary
ashworthdrugs.com/
Carolina Compounding, Cary
carolinacompounding.net/
Chapel Hill Compounding, Chapel Hill
chapelhillcompounding.com
