AND THE WINNERS ARE
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Who are the shining lights among independent pharmacies for 2004? Once again, Drug Topics invited wholesalers across the country to nominate their independent pharmacy customers who have done a superlative job of
providing pharmacy and nonpharmacy services, merchandising or promoting their stores, overcoming competition, and handling
crises.
Our questionnaire drew more than 70 nominees this year. What follows is a closeup look at some of these mom-and-pop operators.
Exceptional pharmacy and nonpharmacy services If you walk into Brighton Pharmacy in Brighton, Colo., on any given day, chances are good that you will see owner Don Coble, Pharm.D., CDE, providing his patients
with free diabetes counseling and glucose meters as well as diabetes medications gratis or at low cost.
Coble became involved with diabetes education 20 years ago and has even traveled to Bolivia to help diabetes patients. He
explained that Brighton, a small farming community located north of Denver, has a very large Hispanic and Asian-American population.
"We have a fair number of migrant farmers who come through in three different cycles each year," he said. "More than 50% of
the male and female adults have Type 2 diabetes. They have no medical insurance, so several physicians in town will see the
patients, and I provide them with a glucose meter and medication either for free or at our cost. We try to do the best we
can for them, because without their work, this community would not survive." Coble counsels these patients on how to use their meter, how to monitor their condition, and how to eat properly. "We do follow-ups
on a monthly basis and send reports to their physicians," he said. Pointing out that the pharmacy relies on profits from selling
over-the-counter items and prescriptions to patients who are covered by insurance, Coble contended that offering free services is not only rewarding, it also creates patient loyalty and
referrals.
With seven chains and one independent pharmacy located within two miles of Brighton Pharmacy, patient loyalty is critical
to success. Coble conceded, "It's a lot of competition for this size of town, but competition is good because it makes you
stay on top of your game. And you'd better be good."
Acknowledging that his community has provided him and his family with a very nice life, Coble, said, "When I bought this pharmacy,
I had a part-time technician and now I have 11 full-time employees, which includes three full-time pharmacists. We are happy
in this community, and my employees are happy."
The wholesaler who nominated Thrifty Drug LTD, in Fargo, N.D., and its owner Larry Sawaya, R.Ph., complimented the pharmacy and staff with these words: "Larry and his
staff consistently provide healthcare services to the market area, and Larry keeps current on healthcare issues to stay competitive
and knowledgeable. He offers the best-in-class services and screenings."
Thrifty Drug is located within two blocks of three other pharmacies, but that doesn't seem to bother Sawaya. He is intent
on delivering top-notch counseling and health screenings. And while the 24-year-old pharmacy's consultation area is very small,
the size doesn't stop the pharmacy from offering outstanding consultation services.
"We started offering the screenings about five years ago. We wanted to offer something to our patients that would be a little
bit different from some of the chains in the area," explained Sawaya. "We offered good customer service for everything else,
so we thought we'd offer these screenings as an extension of those services. I always try to stress customer service and the
fact that the patient is the reason we are here. Without them, we wouldn't have a paycheck."
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