January 1, 2023
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 COVID-19 pandemic has created many changes in our practice. First, being part of the COVID-19 provider practice agreement and administering COVID-19 vaccines on top of seasonal vaccine requirements created a huge change in staffing and workflow. Recently, McMinnville Drug Center has incorporated more services, such as point-of-care documentation for flu, COVID-19, and strep.
Another significant change for our business is our free bubble packing serve. We staff two pharmacists and one technician to manage the bubble packaging calendar, packing the medication, and providing solutions for the doctor’s healthcare goal and the patient’s reality, whether it’s financial or drug intolerability.
What is your favorite thing about being a pharmacist?
I really enjoy working as an independent pharmacist. I have served a few big city hospital pharmacies, a corporate retail pharmacy, and a large independent grocery store pharmacy prior to working at McMinnville Drug Center. I love the small work family and our patients. I love being tied into my customer’s lives and feeling like they are an extension of my work family. It’s deeply gratifying when you are trusted as a provider.
What makes your pharmacy unique?
Location. We are located next door to a historical landmark, the Birthing Tree. Google it! It’s an amazing site, especially since we live in the nursery capital of the world. We are located across the street from the hospital, so this huge tree is our next-door neighbor.
What do you think your patients love most about your pharmacy?
I would say our patients love our customer service. We truly bend over backwards for whatever our customers need. We treat them like family and care for them like family.
What are your favorite ways to get involved with your community?
Currently, our pharmacy is a location drop-off for two nonprofit organizations. Our Father’s Closet is an organization collecting children’s clothing, furniture, and baby items for new foster families who receive children unexpectedly. The second organization collects hygiene and care products for the adult special needs populations. Also, one of my favorite community involvements is serving our homeless populations meals every third week of the month.
What does Locally Loved mean to you?
Our pharmacy motto is, “We are not just a pharmacy, but a family.” If we can train our staff to follow this and show our patients that we love them just like our family, then we can hope our customers spread this love to other local businesses who want to survive. To be locally loved as a business is an honor, especially after 45 years of business. We have generations of families continuing to support our little pharmacy by the big tree.
