January 1, 2022
How many years has your pharmacy been in business?
Fikes Pharmacy has been in business 22 years.
What has been the most significant change within your pharmacy over the past five years, and how has it helped you serve your patients better?
The most significant change within my pharmacy in the past five years has been becoming a 340B pharmacy for our local clinic. This means that we can purchase outpatient medications at discounted “340B” drug prices. As a result, it has increased our patient and script count and has allowed me to hire more employees. Adding extra staff has allowed me to have more time to spend with our patients when they have questions or just during counseling and medication management therapy. I feel like I am not only providing better service to my patients, but also being a better pharmacist as well.
What is your favorite thing about being a pharmacist?
My favorite thing about being a pharmacist is being able to help my patients. When a patient comes to me with a problem they are having, I immediately look at their drug profile and start asking them questions. In a way, a pharmacist is like a detective. A physician’s first instinct might be to put that patient on another drug to help with that complaint. As a pharmacist, my first instinct is to try to figure out why the patient is having the problem. Could it be a side effect of something they are already taking? When did this symptom start? Are they on anything that could be causing this problem? Is there something else the patient could be switched to that would eliminate this symptom and still give them the health outcome they desire? Whether it is guidance on medications or medical conditions, it is very rewarding to me to know that I have helped someone and hopefully improved their quality of life.
What makes your pharmacy unique?
I think what makes Fikes Pharmacy unique is the fact that we are a retail, long-term care, hospice, and 340B pharmacy in a town of 1,000 residents. Not many pharmacies can say that.
What do you think your patients love most about your pharmacy?
Our patients love our customer service and being able to talk to me at any time about any healthcare issue they may be having. I am very accessible to my patients and they know that. They trust me and I think that is why they keep coming back.
What excites you most about the future of independent pharmacy?
What excites me the most about independent pharmacy is how independents are willing to continue to adapt to the patients’ needs as well as take on provider status in ways the chains simply cannot do. I am excited for the next generation of pharmacists who are interested in owning their own stores and want to keep independent pharmacies alive.
What does Locally Loved mean to you?
To me, Locally Loved means that your patients trust you as an important part of their healthcare team and are loyal to you and your pharmacy. They depend on me. And I depend on them.
