Ellawyn (Elly) Baker, Brookshire Grocery Company (Bullard)
Pharmacist at Brookshire Grocery Company Administers Emergency Epinephrine; Saves Life
On Friday March 4, TPA member Ellawyn (Elly) Baker—a pharmacist at Brookshire Grocery Company in Bullard—was checking prescriptions, when suddenly a woman and her husband showed up at the drop-off window in obvious distress.

“They were a middle-aged couple, who were passing through Bullard,” says Baker. “When I went over to counsel them, the husband said his wife needed allergy medicine.”

Baker quickly realized the woman needed more than just some OTC allergy medication.

“I could see that she was swelling up and having trouble breathing,” says Baker. “I asked what the circumstances were. She had not been stung by a bee or anything. Apparently she had an airborne allergy attack—the pollen and mold counts were extremely high that day. They were not from the East Texas area, so that might have made her more prone to a reaction.”

When she told me she was having trouble breathing, I grabbed an EpiPen off the shelf and ran to her,” says Baker. “You pop the cap, push it into the patient’s thigh, and the needle automatically injects—it’s fast acting.”

Baker monitored her for a period until she was confident the woman’s swelling had gone down, and she could breathe freely—and as required, called 911, notified her physician, and documented the situation.

“I knew about the recent law allowing pharmacists to administer epinephrine in an emergency situation from an email that TPA sent,” says Baker.

Thanks to Baker’s quick action, the woman survived a potentially life-threatening situation.

About Ellawyn (Elly) Baker, Pharm.D
Baker grew up in Bullard, and was initially interested in engineering. As a student at Texas A&M, she studied both engineering and biomed, but gravitated away from engineering.

“I dropped the engineering, and stuck with the biomed,” says Baker. As she looked at her options, pharmacy became a logical choice.

“It’s [pharmacy] so flexible, and offers so many avenues. I felt I could really grow into it,” she says.

Along the way, Baker became a certified pharmacy technician, working part-time where she could fit it in her schedule.

“It was a good experience, and I learned a lot,” she says. “I feel I have a lot of insight into how hard techs work, and how they deal with insurance companies. I know how busy they can get.”

After earning her BS in 2010, Baker attended the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy, where she took advantage of their international advanced practice program and studied abroad.

“I went to Thailand to study abroad for the spring semester of 2015,” says Baker.  “We shadowed pharmacists in their communities, and learned how our counterparts in Thailand work. The most significant difference is that community pharmacists there have a lot of autonomy. They don’t need doctors’ prescriptions to give patients medicines in acute illness situations. Learning about another culture was incredible!”

During summers and school breaks, Baker interned at the Brookshire Grocery Company corporate office, often working with TPA President Charlotte Weller, Pharm.D.

“Interning at Brookshire Grocery Company really helped shape my career path,” says Baker, who received her Pharm.D. in July of 2015. “Charlotte has a uniquely progressive attitude on community pharmacy. She’s the Health Services Manager and helped to implement immunizations and medication therapy management (MTM) services.”

Looking back on her quick action with the EpiPen, Baker downplays any heroics.

“It’s hard to think of yourself as a lifesaver—I was just doing what needed to be done,” says Baker.

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While working on her Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M College Station, Amanda Beck met someone who helped define her career path. Shane Lechler, who at the time was Director of Pharmacy at the College Station Medical Centerinstantly saw in Beck the kind of person who would thrive in the pharmacy profession.

“I met Shane while I was volunteering for the College Station Medical Center,” says Beck “He told me my future was in pharmacy, and I shifted my focus to pharmacy at A&M and started working as a technician.”

After receiving her BS from A&M in 2011, Beck enrolled at the University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy, where she greatly enjoyed the program. During that time she was TPA student director for the student executive council, and served on the TPA Board of Directors as a student member. Working with TPA’s Lisa Goerlitz, Beck developed the Student Self-Care Championship in 2013.

“I was exposed to so many opportunities through TPA, and developed a respect for all the different types of pharmacy,” says Beck. “TPA fueled the fire in me—a passion for the profession.”

“Feik School of Pharmacy was amazing. They have very professor-specific attention for students, and offer smaller classes. The professor who had the biggest impact on me was Dr. Kathleen Lusk.

“I did a rotation with Dr. Lusk in internal medicine at the Veteran Affairs Hospital in San Antonio. That changed my whole outlook. I worked on a collaborative team with physicians and pharmacists, making rounds with patients daily. It was at that time that I decided I wanted to work in a hospital or clinical setting.”

Beck’s decision was further bolstered when she did a rotation helping lung transplant patients with Dr. Amaris Fuentes at Houston Methodist Hospital.

“As a pharmacist working with Dr. Fuentes, I was involved with the physicians’ team and daily post- operative patient care. That allowed me to see what kind of impact pharmacists could have on direct-patient care. It’s critical for transplant patients to follow a strict medication protocol after surgery to avoid organ rejection,” says Beck, who received her Pharm D. in 2015.

At Houston Methodist Beck is now working with Alex Varkey, former Director of PGY1/PGY2 Pharmacy Administration Residency and current Director of Pharmacy at the Texas Medical Center.

“I met Dr. Varkey through my involvement in the American Pharmacists Association (APhA),” says Beck. “He opened my eyes to what opportunities were out there for pharmacists in administration residency programs.”

Beck has continued her education past her Pharm.D. and is now finishing up a dual degree program at the University of Houston where she’ll receive her Masters of Science in Pharmacy Administration and Management.

“The further training in pharmacy business and administration will give me the tools to succeed as a manager,” says Beck. “I will complete the degree in May 2017, and at that time I will finish my pharmacy administrative residency. I’m open to a lot of opportunities—the sky’s the limit!”

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Delilah Blanco, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy (Abilene)
Is there anything good about a case of shingles? Maybe, if it helps you decide your future career. As a high school student at John Paul Stevens in San Antonio,

Delilah Blanco came down with a case, and visited a pharmacy for help.

“I went to a pharmacy and they knew right away what it was. So a case of shingles got me interested in becoming a pharmacist,” she says. “That’s when I started researching pharmacy schools. I always wanted to be in healthcare, and have always been interested in science and math.”

After receiving her BS at the University of Texas San Antonio in 2013, Blanco chose Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy (TTUHSC-SOP), and interviewed in Amarillo.

“I fell in love with the staff at TTUHSC-SOP,” she says. “And the curriculum—those were the biggest deciding factors for me.”

Blanco’s a P3 now, studying on the Abilene campus, and finds the pharmacy program at Texas Tech to be top notch.

“The faculty and staff are really supportive here,” says Blanco. Any career path we decide to pursue, they are behind us. And I love the camaraderie here.”

“I feel like I’m getting the best education I could have in a pharmacy school,” adds Blanco, citing a number of TTUHSC staff who have had a positive influence on her.

“Dr. Chephra McKee (Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice in the Pediatrics Division) and Dr. Mary Klein (Clinical Immunizations and Administration, Patient Assessment, and Pharmaceutical Care Lab) have really inspired me, as have Dr. Hal Miller (Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences) and Dr. Chris Tawwater (Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Adult Medicine). Their teaching styles are really effective and practical—which is a huge help for us to implement the information into a practice setting,” says Blanco.

Concerning her future practice setting, Blanco is leaning towards clinical pharmacy.

“I’ve worked for CVS first as a pharmacy technician, and then as an intern, and I love it. But a clinical setting seems more of a direct transition from what I’m learning in school,” says Blanco.

I’m taking electives in clinical care and solid organ transplant,” she says. “In a hospital setting, pharmacists are required for that. I’m also interested in a residency. For me, the biggest factor behind seeking a residency is wanting to be the best pharmacist I can be. I feel like the extra training I’ll get will be invaluable to my future and that I’ll benefit from that extra guidance. Since our school is so clinically oriented and we have a residency program here, it’s worth taking a shot at. There’s a lot of support.”

Blanco also notes that if you choose to do a residency instead of starting right off in practice, you can also be a preceptor.

Getting Involved
Like many pharmacy students, Blanco has benefitted greatly from her involvement in organizations.

“When I first started pharmacy school, I had no idea how much politics impacted pharmacy,” she says. “When I learned about APhA and TPA, I wanted to find out more about what would affect my future career. And once I started learning more, I wanted to get other student pharmacists involved. So I’ve always strived to be more involved, to develop our profession, and help guide it to where we want it to go. I think it’s great that TPA has been at the forefront as a collaborator for all the other organizations in Texas. That’s why I’m involved: to help build a stronger voice for our profession.”   

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If you’re good at science as a high school student, and are interested in healthcare, then pharmacy might be in your future. It certainly was for TPA member AdamBohuslav.

“Growing up in Austin, I was always good at science,” says Bohuslav. “I knew I wanted to do something in the healthcare field.”

Bohuslav went on to earn a degree in biochemistry, but was still was not sure what he wanted to do for a career.

“I worked as chemist at Cerriliant (an analytical lab) for a few years,” says Bohuslav. “I kind of realized I wanted to focus on something more medical. I had worked nights at HEB as a pharmacy technician, and as a pharmacy care representative, and I knew pharmacy was something I wanted to do. I loved it.

Bohuslav enrolled at The University of Texas College of Pharmacy in 2006, and graduated with his Pharm.D. in 2010.

 “The program at UT was pretty rigorous and time-consuming—a lot of studying for exams,” says Bohuslav. “I loved pharmacotherapy—learning about the various drugs and antibiotics in particular.”

Although Bohuslav did some hospital rotations in San Antonio at the University Hospital, he was more attracted to the retail aspect of practice.

“I always wanted to do retail,” he says. “I like the fast pace, and I like being able to help people over the counter, in the aisles. You get to see quite a wide variety of medications.”

After graduating in 2010, Bohuslav initially served as a floating pharmacist for H-E-B, but after just seven months he was hired as pharmacy manager at the H-E-B on Louis Henna Boulevard in Round Rock.

“H-E-B is a great company to work for,” says Bohuslav. “They give back to the community, and really treat their partners well.”

As pharmacy manager, Bohuslav’s responsibilities include: staff scheduling; making any necessary physician calls; checking the prescription counts; checking the payroll; and ordering Schedule II drugs (controlled substances).

“We have weekly staff meetings—we call them huddles—and we take a look at any new things that are happening in the pharmacy, and we look at insurance details,” says Bohuslav. “We’re immunizers, so I keep up with immunizing CE, and I’m a preceptor so I keep up with that too. It’s enjoyable to give back to the University, help students to learn—and give them the best experience I can. Precepting helps me too!”

“Being a pharmacist and being able to work with people is great. No other professionals get to see as many people as we do in a day—and help them with their medications.”

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Katura C. Bullock, PharmD, BCPS, Assistant Professor of Pharmacotherapy  • UNT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy (Fort Worth)
For someone who loves being around students, what better pharmacy practice setting than academia?

That’s what TPA member Katura Bullock discovered after experiencing several different practice settings.

“I always knew that I wanted to be in healthcare,” says Bullock. “I loved chemistry in high school, and it was my chemistry teacher in high school who suggested that I look into pharmacy. The pharmacist at the local CVS was so helpful to me, and I aspired to be like that.”

Bullock, who grew up in Allentown PA, pursued her dream, and attended Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy where she earned her Pharm.D. in 2008.

A residency program as an assistant instructor with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and in ambulatory care with the Department of Veteran Affairs in pharmacy practice brought her to Dallas.

As a resident, I had very impressive mentors, which was fortunate, because it was intimidating,” says Bullock.

“It took me a while to find my place,” adds Bullock. “I initially worked at a long-term care facility. I learned that you serve as every type of pharmacist there: nutrition support; critical care; anti coagulation, etc. I had a wonderful manager.”

Her time spent as a clinical pharmacist at Methodist Dallas Medical Center from April 2011 to July 2012, also broadened her horizon.

“It was another learning experience,” says Bullock. “I’ve tried to learn in every position I’ve had. The folks at Methodist Dallas were really helpful. I really enjoyed all of the interaction with the nurses and physicians. Plus, I was active with students during their rotations.

I try to absorb everything I can in any position. For example, I spent a lot of time in the neuro critical care unit there. Pharmacy is always changing, so you have to have an open mind if you are going to be successful and grow with the profession.”

Around that time Bullock saw several newspaper articles covering UNT Health Science Center’s soon-to-be-open college of pharmacy.

“I remembered from my residency how stimulating it was to be around students,” says Bullock, “and I missed teaching. “There’s nothing like being in the classroom every day. When I saw that UNT Health Science Center was accepting applicants, I just jumped. It was a leap of faith, because I looked up to those in academia. When they offered me the job, I was so excited—I love what I do!

“I like the variety best. I get to teach the students three days a week, and I am at a clinical practice two days a week. I am an ambulatory care specialist and manage patients’ medications. I see patients with adherence issues, poly-pharmacy issues; diabetes; asthma; hypertension; even depression and anxiety. It’s a UNT clinic, one of about five across Tarrant County.

“We do a lot of counseling. I think that’s where pharmacists can really make a dent in healthcare. Doctors have superb skills, but pharmacists have great counseling skills, along the ability to present complex information in a simple way.”

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Ashley N. Chassé, Methodist Dallas Medical Center

Ashley N. Chassé initially considered being a physician’s assistant, but found pharmacy was a better fit for her.

“My mom had a friend who was a pharmacist at the University of Arizona, and he introduced to MTM, ambulatory care, and so forth,” says Chassé. “That got me excited about a career in pharmacy.”

Chassé picked up her BS in Health Sciences majoring in physiology, and minoring in chemistry at the University of Arizona, and received her Pharm.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy in 2013.

”During that time, I was heavily involved in APhA and worked as an intern at CVS.”

For her one month rotations, Chassé focused on ambulatory care: HIV, Diabetes, outpatient cardiology and Anti-coagulation. She was also able to work on a transition-of-care research project.

Chassé’s first job was as a community pharmacist resident at Las Colinas Pharmacy from 2013-14.

“I learned about compounding, herbal supplements, how to run a small business, as well as standard operating procedures and best practices,” says Chassé. “I had a wonderful experience there, and really learned a lot. The experience reconfirmed my desire to do ambulatory care.”

However, Chassé returned to CVS as a staff pharmacist after her residency.

As a board member of the Dallas Area Pharmacy Association (DAPA), she was able to network, and met, the director of pharmacy for Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

“He let me know he was looking to fill a position soon. It was for a pharmacist for their Accountable Care Organization. I’d be working to improve healthcare and lower costs, by reducing readmissions and enhancing transitions of care. I told him I was interested,” says Chassé.

So now Chassé is a clinical pharmacist for Methodist Patient Center ACO (MPCACO) and the Methodist Alliance for Patients and Physicians (MAP2).

“For MAP2 I do patient and physician education and projects related to transitions of care. As the ACO pharmacist on staff, my team is a blend of nurses, social workers, dieticians, population health coordinators, community health workers and health coaches. Patients are referred to us through their insurance or Medicare. It’s all about looking at the patents’ big picture: medications; education; compliance; overall health. We help to reduce re-admissions,” says Chassé, who also serves as a DFW-area University of Texas College of Pharmacy coordinator, assigning students rotations in Advanced Pharmacy Practice Education and participating in monthly meetings.

“You end up helping a lot of people. It can be as simple as folks not having enough food to control their diabetes and so you help them with food resources, or understanding and treating a new diagnosis. There are so many things we can do to increase their health, quality of life, and reduce costs.”

“I love it. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” adds Chassé, who is currently on maternity leave with her newly-born twins Abram and Aldric.

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Stacy Cody, Cody Drug (Sulphur Springs)

TPA member Stacy Cody grew up in Sulphur Springs, a town of around 16,000 about 100 miles southwest of Texarkana. There’s a lot of farmland around those parts, and Cody’s father makes his living as a cattleman. As romantic as that may sound, Cody decided on trying something different, preferably indoors. His mother is a nurse, so the healthcare field seemed like a great choice.

 

“My dad is a full-time cattleman, and I told him I did not want to saddle a horse to go to work for the rest of my life,” says Cody. “I wanted to work where there was air conditioning.”
Cody, who earned his BS in Pharmacy from Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy in Weatherford, OK in 1990, went to work for an independent pharmacy after graduating. He eventually became partner in another local pharmacy.

 

In 1992 Cody bought co-ownership in the Sulphur Springs Medicine Chest. There, he was the pharmacist in charge, and loved it. He took it from 40 prescriptions a day to 200 a day, practicing in his home town. In 1999, Cody sold his share to his partners (which allowed his wife to stay home with their two children) and tried some different practice settings.

 

Cody tried hospital for a few years, and then long-term care for Medicine Chest. Starting from scratch with one nursing home, they moved prescriptions from Medicine Chest’s retail stores that were servicing nursing homes. They then had a sales staff that went after new business from facilities they had no relationship with at that time. By 2009, they were servicing 33 nursing homes across Texas.”

 

It was a closed-door pharmacy, delivering to the nurses’ stations, and Cody found he missed dealing with actual patients.

 

“That’s what brought me back full circle,” he says. “We started Cody Drug in March of 2010. We bought a building and started from scratch with zero customers. Sulphur Springs has every chain in town, and two other independents at that time.”

 

But despite those odds, Cody Drug has thrived and now has 18 employees.

 

“I’m the only pharmacist practicing here who was born and raised and graduated high school in Sulphur Springs,” says Cody. “I’ve been a pharmacist for 25 years. I feel like God wanted me to open a pharmacy and step out on faith. I believe in taking care of people,” adds Cody, who likes to share Micah 6.8 with his staff to help keep things in perspective: “Act justly, walk humbly, and love mercy.”

 

“The big outfits are not my competitors—I’m never going to beat them—I am my own competitor. I give every single customer that stops here, my cell phone number, and if they want to call me after hours, I’ll come back to the store. If it’s Sunday morning, I’ll help them.”

 

“People get sick after hours. Every doctor in town has my mobile number, and I have most of theirs. So they have access to me any time.

 

“I ask every potential employee to treat each customer like they were their grandmother,” he says. “And if you don’t like your grandmother, you probably won’t fit in well here.”

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Gregory Creal, Brookshires Grocery Company (Kaufman)

TPA member Gregory Creal is part of a unique team of pharmacists at Brookshire Grocery Company focusing on medication therapy management (MTM). Creal, who was initially a pharmacy technician, joined Brookshires when he saw they were building a new store near his home.

 

“After getting out of the Army, I applied for a job at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas,” says Creal. “They offered me a position as pharmacy technician, because they noticed that my college classes at Eastfield Community College were geared towards medicine.”

 

Realizing he liked pharmacy, Creal applied to the University of Texas College of Pharmacy, where he earned his B. Pharm. in 1993.

Creal began his pharmacy career as a pharmacy manager opening a new Eckerd’s in Seagoville, a suburb of Dallas, and later worked for the Minyards grocery chain. But a move to Kaufman, just outside of Dallas, changed everything.

 

“I was driving through town one day in 2001 and I saw a sign that said, ‘Home of the new Brookshires Food & Pharmacy,’ and I jumped on it,” says Creal.

Creal was soon hired as the pharmacy manager, a position he held for 13 years. Around two years ago, TPA Immediate Past President Charlotte Weller began implementing an MTM service for Brookshires.

 

“In March of 2015 we created a team of about six pharmacists,” says Creal. “Charlotte was the brainchild behind it. At that point, that became my fulltime job—handling MTM services. The foresight Charlotte had—the thinking and planning for this change in pharmacy has been phenomenally beneficial for our company and patients.”

 

As an MTM Clinical Pharmacist for Brookshires, Creal is part of the team that provides specialized pharmacy services to patients that optimizes their medication therapy and improves health toward desired outcomes.

 

“Mirixa and OutcomesMTM work with Insurance Companies to identify and place patients in MTM programs,” explains Creal. “That allows us as MTM pharmacists for Brookshires to go to their websites and select patients who shop at our stores. We then contact them and have one-on-one conversations with the patients. Our MTM pharmacists perform a detailed review of their medications so we have their entire medication history. We all work together—MTM pharmacists and store pharmacists in a coordinated effort to provide a very important service to improve therapeutic outcomes.”

 

Mirixa and OutcomesMTM websites compile comprehensive data indicating how much Brookshires MTM saves in healthcare costs based on performance over a year.

 

“The numbers are impressive,” says Creal.  “That’s gratifying, but the real gratification comes from the sit-down conversation with patients. They tell us how much more comfortable they are understanding their medications. You don’t get that kind of detailed, personalized information in a dispensing/counseling situation. It’s all about improving their medication therapy.

 

“I honestly think that this is where pharmacy is headed. Pharmacists will be increasingly focusing on this kind of service—improving therapy outcomes and medication effectiveness. This type of pharmacist activity [MTM] will also improve our chances of being recognized as healthcare providers.”

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Jose Cruz • H-E-B (Laredo)

 

Growing up in Laredo (after a move from Chicago), Jose Cruz worked as a pharmacy technician during summers in a hospital pharmacy. Turned out to be the launching pad for his career as a pharmacist.

 

“My dad worked for the hospital pharmacy,” says Cruz. “I saw it as something I’d like to do. “Working in the hospital was great on-the-job training.”

 

At Laredo Community College, Cruz focused mostly on science courses while initially looking at optometry. He then transferred to the University of Houston, but ended up pursuing pharmacy at Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

 

“I applied to TSU and they called me for an interview,” says Cruz. “It went really well—I was accepted into the pharmacy school. It was a very challenging program—I had a friend who tried it but was unable to finish it. Friends and professors, really helped me out.

 

Pharmacist demand was quite high when Cruz graduated TSU in 1996, and he landed a job at H-E-B immediately.

 

“My plans were initially to work in a hospital setting, but H-E-B, Wal-Mart—all the big companies came to TSU to recruit,” says Cruz. They were hiring on the spot, and H-E-B was very persuasive.

 

“I started working at H-E-B in Laredo, and worked there for a year,” says Cruz. “At that time, the Eagle Pass H-E-B needed pharmacists, and I went there as pharmacist-in-charge. I stayed there for a year.

Cruz later returned to a South Laredo location, preferring to work there as a staff pharmacist.

 

“I’m still with H-E-B after 19 years, so it was a good decision,” he says. “I’ve been a pharmacist for close to 20 years. We were not as involved with patients when I started—we did not have health screenings, vaccines, and MTM.”

 

The Laredo location Cruz works at is a very busy store, and he finds that people look to him as a healthcare provider.

 

“My favorite part of the job is the people who come to the store,” says Cruz. “Ninety percent speak Spanish, and I’m bilingual, so I can help them. Mostly they don’t know much about the medications they’ve been prescribed, so

 

I have to counsel a lot more than most pharmacists. They’ll ask me questions about their disease conditions. They trust me—I think they feel more comfortable asking me as pharmacist, rather than a doctor. I really enjoy helping those folks.”

 

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Derek Ethridge, QRC HealthMart Pharmacy (Castroville)

TPA member Derek Ethridge went from being a 16-year old working at the pharmacy department in Kmart to owning his own independent pharmacy.

“As a high school kid, I worked at Kmart in Corpus Christi. The manager assigned me to health and beauty, so I worked under the pharmacists,” says Ethridge. “I ended up becoming good friends with the two pharmacists I was supervised by.”

Working closely with pharmacists rubbed off on Ethridge, and he decided to pursue it.

“Pharmacy looked appealing,” says Ethridge. “I went to Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and took my pre-pharmacy courses, and then went on to The University of Texas College of Pharmacy. I graduated in 1987 with a BS in Pharmacy.”

Ethridge returned to Corpus Christi and Kmart for a few years before moving to Dallas and then San Antonio.

“I was promoted to District Manager and worked first in Dallas, then in San Antonio,” says Ethridge. “It was very challenging, but being able to solve problems was pretty rewarding. Part of it was about getting pharmacists to buy in to Kmart’s way of thinking and grow the business.”

Around that time, an auspicious call from a friend led Ethridge to owning his own pharmacy.

“A friend of mine called and asked me to manage an independent pharmacy in Castroville, a family-oriented rural community about 15 miles outside of San Antonio.” says Ethridge. “After one year, I liked it so much I bought it from him! I got a reasonably good deal, and after 18 years, I’m still here. We’ve grown the business quite a bit since then.

Now called QRC HealthMart Pharmacy, the business is doing well. In addition to Ethridge, the staff consists of four pharmacy technicians, two service people, and a part-time pharmacist.

“I attribute our success to customer service, good management, and an excellent staff,” says Ethridge. “When I first bought it, we were only filling anywhere from 50-60 prescriptions a day, and today we are up to 200.

“Owning my own business had been a dream of mine from the beginning. It’s always a challenge, especially today, with profit margins down, but it was the right decision—I’ve enjoyed every year. For me, it’s all about the patients. I love to talk with them and develop relationships. I like coming to work every day.

“My son just graduated from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, and will be joining me at QRC. I’m really looking forward to him joining the team, and I hope to someday hand it over to him”

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Brian Fagan- H-E-B, Round Rock

Brian Fagan always wanted to get into the health profession, but it wasn’t until he was in his 20’s that he pursued it.

 

“Believe it or not, I initially got a degree in Czech language and culture. But at 26, I was encouraged to look into becoming a pharmacist by a family member,” says Fagan. “I’ve always been amazed by how the human body can respond to drugs when they are used properly. I had a great time at The University of Texas College of Pharmacy.

 

It was awesome getting my Pharm.D. degree in 2011—I felt a strong sense of accomplishment.”

 

Fagan worked as a pharmacy technician at H-E-B during school, and feels the position has given him a greater depth of pharmacy experience.

 

“That [being a tech] has helped in my current management position,” says Fagan. “The difference is I can do every task if needed. I’ve done every job in pharmacy, so that helps me assess what needs to be done on a daily basis. Mentally, I can go from task to task and complete them.”

 

A pharmacy manager for H-E-B since 2011, Fagan has a found a good fit.

 

“My biggest challenge is keeping people motivated to accomplish the common goal—to make sure that our patients are well-taken care of,” says Fagan. “I’ve been in sports for a long time, and a lot of my role models were coaches, so they’ve been like mentors to me. Like coaches, I try to get the best out of people—that’s how things work best. I create the atmosphere within my pharmacy, and I’m always calling on people to do better—kind of a continual improvement. I encourage our staff to do well. For example, I recognize our pharmacy technicians who do a lot of screenings—it’s important to work directly with customers and engage people who come into our store. Screenings help us do that. It’s all about our customers. They are the ones who make us great.

 

“I spend more time with the children of older adults—baby boomers—helping them manage how to handle their parents. Many baby boomers need that kind of help dealing with their aging parents, and pharmacists can play a role there. We’re the medication experts.”

 

Fagan also serves as a preceptor, and helps out with a couple students each year.

 

“I enjoy teaching them—helping them understand the gray areas—not everything is black and white. It’s important to help students understand the reasons behind the decisions they make,” says Fagan.

 

“In the past five years, I’ve become more interested in the business of pharmacy, and where pharmacy is going. One reason I’m a member of TPA is to be involved in more than managing a pharmacy. I’ve learned that you’ve got to take care of your patients and you’ve got to take care of the people who work for you.”
 

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Michelle Farmer-Driscoll, R.Ph., Walgreens
TPA and other state pharmacy organizations have been striving for years to have pharmacists recognized as part of the healthcare team. Michelle Farmer-Driscoll, R.Ph., TPA’s new Treasurer-Elect knew early on how important that is.

“My grandmother worked as a clerk at the local drugstore (Deese’s Drugs in Phenix City, Alabama) and I spent a lot of weekends at the pharmacy there,” says Farmer-Driscoll. “I was really intrigued by it. As I began to understand how pharmacists were part of the healthcare team, I realized that’s what I wanted to do.”

Farmer-Driscoll worked for several independents during college, and after earning her BS in Pharmacy at the University of Louisiana, Monroe in 1992, she was hired by Walgreens.

“I’ve always been attracted to community pharmacy. I started at Walgreens in Lake Charles, LA right out of school,” says Farmer-Driscoll. “I was a staff pharmacist for two years, then became a pharmacy manager for three years, and serves as district pharmacy supervisor, and now as a consultant for retail and pharmacy operations. I think every role always prepares you for the next one, whether it is about skills and communication or planning and efficiency.

“What I really enjoy is the role of teacher/mentor where I can help our team members develop and see them grow into greater roles,” says Farmer-Driscoll, who is also a preceptor.

A Vision for Texas Pharmacy
Farmer-Driscoll’s vision for the pharmacy profession in Texas closely mirrors that of TPA’s.
“My vision is to have all areas of the pharmacy practice sector collaborate and work toward the commonalities we all face in order to advance our profession,” she says. “Through collaboration, teamwork, and unification, we will succeed in those matters most important to every pharmacist. There are some distinct differences in our practice settings, but we all practice for the good of our patients. Being healthcare providers and being adequately reimbursed for what we do is one thing we all share in common, and it will benefit both patients and pharmacists. It’s amazing how far pharmacy has come since I’ve gotten out of school, but we still have a ways to go.”

A resident of Spring, Farmer- Driscoll served as president of the North Houston Pharmacy Association in 2013, sits on the board of the Texas Federation of Drug Stores, and is active in several other organizations.

“I’ve been a member of TPA since the mid-90’s, and I’m getting more involved,” she says. “I enjoy attending TPA’s Annual Conference & Expo and the Leadership Symposium. The CE is so valuable, and the camaraderie from fellow pharmacists who share the same challenges and rewards makes it really worthwhile. I love meeting other pharmacists and hearing about their accomplishments.”

There’s no doubt Farmer-Driscoll is passionate about being involved in her profession, and often stresses the importance of grassroots involvement.

“Learning about the current legislation and what we can do to help protect our profession is vital,” says Farmer-Driscoll. “The famous John F. Kennedy quote really says it all: ‘If not us, who? If not now, when?’ The fact is, we can’t rely on someone else to protect our future.”

 

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Russell Daniel (Dan) Gardner, Dan’s Best Value Pharmacy
Before signing on with Best Value Pharmacies, Russell Daniel “Dan” Gardner developed experience at a number of retail stores.

“I originally did an internship at Eckerd’s in Fort Worth,” recalls Dan. “I worked there until I passed the state boards, and then went to the Eckerd’s in Burleson, where I worked as the pharmacist in charge until 1990. I then moved to a Walmart, where I worked as assistant manager for my first year, then PIC until 2001.”

In 1987, while at Eckerd’s, Dan met a fellow named Wayne West who worked for Hilley's. 

“Eckerd’s bought Hilley's and I was the transition person who helped convert Wayne's Hilley's store to Eckerd’s,” says Dan. “He left Eckerd shortly after the takeover to work for Ron Cheyne at Country Day Pharmacy in Ft Wort, and later bought West Pharmacy in Burleson.”

West later teamed up with TPA member Ron Cheyne, and they pooled their resources and formed what is now the Best Value chain of pharmacies. Dan joined Best Value Pharmacies Inc. in 2001, where he’s been ever since.

“When I came on in April of 2001 there were six stores, and we opened Dan’s Mountain Valley Pharmacy (now called Dan’s Best value Pharmacy) in Joshua TX, making it seven,” says Dan. “There are now 14 stores under the Best Value umbrella, so in the space of 14 years we’ve doubled.”

Dan, who has been with Best Value nearly 15 years, enjoys his role as pharmacist in charge/pharmacist manager.

 “I love it,” says Dan. “Working in independent pharmacy is a wonderful experience. You treat the customers right because you have the time and freedom to treat them the way you’d like to be treated.

It’s not like a fast-food operation. Staffing is the key, and it’s important to have the right number of technicians. Best Value Pharmacies tend to have a stability—people stick around, and we don’t have employee turnover. That means our customers see the same technicians, and I’m here all but one day a week, so when people come into my store, they are going to see me. They get to know us and we get to know them, so both trust and relationships are built up.”

“Our stores are owned and operated by pharmacists,” says Cheyne. “Many of us worked together through the years as young pharmacists for the neighborhood drug stores we would later buy. We are big on relationships... On knowing our customers... And on giving hometown service like it used to be given. This is our niche.”

Like most independent pharmacists, it can be a challenge to maintain profits, but there are signs of improvement.

“Some of the transparency laws that went into effect this year have made a difference in reimbursements,” says Dan. “The pharmaceutical industry has been consolidating since 2008, and that has caused generic drugs to go up in price. Now PBM's are required by law to update Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC) prices every seven days, and that helps.”

“I’d say things are looking much better than they did a year ago,” adds Dan. “But operating an independent pharmacy is a constant challenge. For example, based on the insurance they have, customers may now have to pay more at some retail pharmacies for prescriptions than others, depending on contracted networks.”

For us at Best Value Pharmacies, service is what sets us apart,” says Dan. “Our clients come here not because we have the cheapest price, the longest operating hours, or because their insurance requires them to shop here. They come by choice; because of our outstanding customer service, competitive prices, and trust in our knowledge and abilities.”  

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Nanita Garg, Stonegate Pharmacy (Austin)

Many new practitioners seek independent pharmacy as their practice setting. Nanita Garg, who earned her Pharm.D. from The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy in 2009 chose that course, and it wasn’t long before she became partner at Stonegate Pharmacy in Austin. Stonegate, a successful independent pharmacy owned by TPA President Rene Garza, Pharm.D., specializes in compounding, medication services and nutritional support.

Garg began working at Stonegate in 2011, and in addition to her professional training in compounding, she now manages Stonegate’s medication therapy management (MTM) program which offers comprehensive medication reviews and education.

“After graduating, I had been doing some part time relief work with Dripping Springs Pharmacy. When I found out that Rene Garza needed someone at Stonegate, I helped him out until a full-time position came up,” says Garg, who is now a partner at Stonegate Pharmacy, along with Andy Ruiz, Pharm.D. and Garza.

“One of my responsibilities is handling preceptor-interns and assigning them groups of MTM patients—typically, those with asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. MTM can be especially effective when we can tie in some of our services, like auto-filling and med-synching. That’s when we get all of a patient’s prescriptions aligned to refill together.”

Garg’s role also involves helping out Stonegate’s pharmacy technicians, and a substantial amount of patient interaction.

“I do a lot of counseling,” says Garg. “We have a lot of patients who come for acute care. I also do a lot of counseling on vitamins and probiotics, and help patients determine what other supplements can help them get the best out of their medications. For example birth control medications deplete vitamin B, so I might recommend a Vitamin B complex to a patient who is taking birth control.”

Garg stresses that it’s the patient interaction that make Stonegate special.

“We put a lot of emphasis on wellness counseling and of course customer service,” says Garg. “We’re trained in the nutraceutical area. Are you on a sleeping aid? Maybe it’s your stress level, so we might recommend something for adrenal gland support—certain vitamins/herbals can be helpful for that. Maybe we can get you off of sleep medication. It’s normal to be on the go all of the time in today’s world, but our bodies were not set up for that.”

“Prescriptions can sometimes be a band-aid, so it’s good to get to the root of a problem. We deal in overall health. For me, the problem-solving aspect of my job is the most enjoyable—finding out how to make patients’ overall health better.”

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Debra Thomlinson Henderson Pharmacy Manager, Walgreens (Houston)
It’s not uncommon for pharmacists to move from practice setting to practice setting, but not Debra Thomlinson Henderson. She’s been steady as a rock, working for Walgreenssince 1984.

“I did work in a hospital during pharmacy school,” says Henderson, who studied at Texas Southern University before getting her BS in Pharmacy from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. “But I wanted to try something different. I tried retail right after getting my license, and liked it. I was hired by Walgreens in October of 1984, and

I’ve worked in the Houston area since then.”

Additionally, Henderson has been a preceptor for many years, helping students from both TSU and UHCOP.

“Students are eligible after their first year to be interns working with a preceptor,” says Henderson. “I enjoy working with them. It offers a break from some of the routine activities of being a pharmacist. There’s more of a focus on the clinical aspects of pharmacy now,” she says of her preceptor duties. “Students in general are highly motivated and well-prepared. Most are really inquisitive, and want to get to the bottom of things.”

A pharmacy manager for the past 28 years, Henderson rejoined TPA in 2015 to get involved.

“TPA is our only real voice,” she says. “Being a member of the organization helps me stay abreast of changes.” And Henderson has seen plenty of change in the pharmacy business since she first started.

“I’ve seen a whole lot of changes over the years, especially in technology,” she says. “Walgreens continues to be in the forefront in many areas.”

Managing a Walgreens pharmacy involves scheduling, hiring/training technicians, and more.

“I oversee inventory, and work with corporate to implement any new changes. And of course there are lots of metrics to meet. I currently work about 44 hours a week and I feel like I have a good work/life balance.” says Henderson, who has two adult children in college. “As a manager, there’s always something else to do. You have to prioritize.

“Walgreens has gone through a lot of corporate changes over the years. It’s still changing even as we speak. Back when I first started we weren’t even doing immunizations or blood pressure checks. Now we do all that and flu clinics—and we now offer medication therapy management.”

Like many pharmacists, Henderson finds gratification in helping people.

“What I like most in my role as pharmacy manager is my interaction with the patients—you have to have a passion for the patient. I have a lot of elderly patents, and they’ll call me whenever they need anything.”

Not long ago, Henderson found herself in the patient’s role, and she learned from it.

“We’re located near the Medical Center in Houston, so we see a lot MD Anderson patients,” she says. “I recently survived breast cancer and I feel that it’s made me better at empathizing with patients.”

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Steve Hoffart, Owner, Magnolia Pharmacy
Back in 1989, TPA member Steve Hoffart was taking pre-med courses at Texas A&M, and that’s what got him interested in pharmacy.

“I did my pre-pharmacy at Texas A&M, and then went on to The University of Texas College of Pharmacy to earn my BS in 1994,” says Hoffart. “I felt obligated to go back and get my Pharm.D., and did so in 1997, earning it at UT in 2000.”

It didn’t take long for Hoffart to open his own store.

“I worked for two independents for a few years out of pharmacy school. I was pharmacist-in-charge at Brookshire Brothers for a few years, but went out on my own in 2002,” says Hoffart.

Hoffart opened Magnolia Pharmacy just outside of The Woodlands in 2002, and has been going strong ever since.

“Getting started, my mentor was Fred Emmite, R.Ph., CDM, who owned Pinewood Pharmacy in Magnolia,” says Hoffart. “He’s now on staff, and serves as Nutritional Pharmacist.

Hoffart started from scratch, and the first day he opened had 100 prescriptions to fill.

“Growing up in the area, I knew all the doctors and patients, so that gave me a big advantage,” says Hoffart. “We’ve had steady growth since 2002,” adds Hoffart, who was voted Pharmacist of the Year – Retail Pharmacy Management Systems in 2008. “The Woodlands growth has helped in some ways, but also brought more competition. One thing I’ve learned is not to grow too fast. I almost grew myself out of business! The other thing I’ve learned is to deal with growth in terms of staffing.

“You have to find your niche. Independents have knowledge to offer. Healthcare knowledge is a very personal thing; once you develop a relationship with patients, they will keep coming back.”

Around 2007, Magnolia Pharmacy began doing a lot more compounding, and added wellness services.

“It’s all kind of grown from there,” says Hoffart. “There’s a balance for how much we can help people with just counseling versus fee-for-service consultations. We do 30-60 minute consultations—hormone evaluations, weight loss, and lifestyle management.

“Additionally, Fred has a great nutrition background. It’s a natural fit for pharmacists to offer science-based information on supplements and diet—we can offer sound information. Often lifestyle and diet changes can eliminate medications. I have a true passion for health and wellness.”

“My favorite part of owning an independent pharmacy is the ability to practice and shape the profession of pharmacy the way I want to,” adds Hoffart. I like to say: ‘Put the patient first and take care of them; as a side effect, you’ll make a living.’”

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Todd Hulet, Express Meds Pharmacy (Irving)
TPA member Todd Hulet did not take a conventional path to pharmacy. Instead, he found his calling later, as he sought to help folks with HIV.

“In the 90’s, I was managing convenience stores in Phoenix, AZ, and did volunteer work for non-profits,” says Hulet, now a Dallas resident. “I helped people with HIV. Seeing all the medications they had to take without a lot of supervision made me want to make a difference.”

Today’s medications are far superior, but HIV still requires a lot of monitoring. A lot of patients are still on poly-pharmacy regimens, so you want to make sure that any other medications the patients are taking are not going to cause any negative effects.”

Becoming a Pharmacist
At the age of  33, Hulet went back to school at the University of Arizona, and took care of his prerequisites, and then went on to pharmacy school.

“I was fortunate enough to be accepted in University of Arizona College of Pharmacy in 1995,” he says. “I graduated in 1999. We were the third class out of Arizona to receive Pharm.D.s.”

One of Hulet’s professors was a long-term care consultant, specializing in geriatrics and consultant pharmacy. Remembering all the folks he had wanted to help back in his convenience store days, Hulet sought work in a long-term care and HIV specialty pharmacy.

“I was lucky enough to be hired by PharMerica, a long-term care pharmacy in Grand Prairie,” says Hulet. “I worked there for 11 years as a long-term care consultant. I traveled all around North Texas, monitoring therapy for drug/drug disease, and monitoring lab results for medications that required it. I interacted primarily with nurses and staff, and made recommendations to doctors—I loved it. A very important aspect of the job was to make sure that the facilities were in compliance with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations.”

Hulet later moved on to Complete Pharmacy Care, where he traveled to Mental Health Mental Retardation and group homes to review and make recommendations concerning medication therapies and monitored compliance to state and federal regulations.

“The focus was on intermediate care facilities—folks who are not sick enough to require 24-hour monitoring in a skilled nursing facility (long-term care facility) or whose conditions are not considered to be chronic and/or unchanging,” says Hulet.  

Ultimately, Hulet took a job with First Choice Pharmacy as pharmacist in charge.

“It was a pain management clinic, and we evolved into Express Meds Pharmacy and are now a non-sterile compounding pharmacy,” says Hulet.

Express Meds Pharmacy is located in Irving, and offers delivery service to patients and clinics. The primary target base is various clinics such as OBGYN, Dermatology, Dentistry, Pain Management, and Sports Medicine. In addition to compounding, they dispense stock medications as well.

“It’s a brand new challenge,” says Hulet. “I’ve had the opportunity to build a compounding lab from scratch. I’m really enjoying it. I was lucky enough to find a pharmacy technician who has nine years of compounding experience."

“It’s an ongoing education,” adds Hulet, who has been a TPA member for about 10 years. “Speaking of education, I like TPA’s live CE programs. And by attending the annual conferences, I’m able to get most of my CE requirements taken care of. The annual TPA conference in July is already on my calendar.”

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Teachers can often be life-changing mentors. Growing up in Richland, TX, a small, rural community of fewer than 300 people. TPA member Janis Johnson met a chemistry teacher while attending school at Navarro Junior college who influenced her.

“I loved math and science,” says Johnson. “He steered me toward pharmacy.”

At the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Johnson persisted through the rigorous curriculum.

“It was a very difficult program,” says Johnson. “We took 20-21 hours a semester. We had labs—you were an all-day student, and it was a five-year program.”

Johnson earned her BS in 1971 and considered the type position she wanted.

“I wasn’t sure what kind of practice setting I wanted,” says Johnson. “I interviewed in Bryan College Station, but no luck. So I came back to Richland and took a job at the Mexia State School (now called Mexia State Supported Living Center) as a staff pharmacist.

Looking to pay off her student loans, Johnson added on another job.

“I worked at Mexia State School Monday thought Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and then drove to Corsicana and worked at Gibson’s Pharmacy from 6:00-9:00 p.m., and on Saturdays. I wanted to pay off my student loans. I did that for a year,” says Johnson.

But Johnson has no regrets concerning her career choices, and is grateful for all pharmacy has given her.

“Pharmacy has been very good to me,” says Johnson.  “It’s allowed me to do a lot of things I could not have done otherwise. I have two kids and six grandkids. Working at the state school gave me a lot of flexibility. I worked there for 22 years.”

“The state school environment is not for everyone,” adds Johnson.  “You have to have a special outlook. I learned a lot of patience, and saw a lot of change. When I first started, we’d send Dilantin (for seizures) with 100 capsules to a bottle, and it was used as needed. We then progressed to individual prescriptions. We used a pencil and paper for profiles. We used a typewriter for prescriptions, then electric typewriters, then computers.”

Johnson is now director of pharmacy at Parkview Regional Hospital, where she’s been working in some capacity since 1979 and full time since 1996. There, they use state-of-the-art technology.

“We use eMar system to track prescriptions and patient records,” says Johnson. “The physicians enter the orders, and we have an Acu-dose dispensing system, which dispenses the medications right to the nurses. It’s very automated and a great system. We’re lucky to have such technology in our small, rural hospital, but our leadership here has always been progressive and interested in keeping up with technological advances that can improve safety and quality.”

“It's changed pharmacy a lot,” says Johnson of the informatics system.  “Now we have to look at the whole picture—we look at patient lab values, and we might see discrepancies in dosages. We might see patients whose weight or body-type is not a good match for the prescription.”

“I enjoy my role as Director of Pharmacy,” says Johnson. “We have daily contact with physicians and nurses and work together in a family environment to ensure safe, quality, continuous care for our patients. I know everyone and how to approach them. Mainly, my role is behind the scenes, making sure that patient’s meds match their diagnosis, and that everything is correct and running smooth. My motto is that I’m like that little duck that looks to be swimming effortlessly in the pond, when actually I’m paddling like mad to stay afloat!”

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Amanda Kernodle, HEB (Austin)
Amanda Kernodle is currently a PGY1 Community Pharmacy Resident with H-E-B Pharmacy and the University of Texas College of Pharmacy.

Kernodle, who attended Pharmacy School at Purdue University College of Pharmacy in West Lafayette, Indiana, relocated to Texas in June of 2015 after earning her Pharm.D. in May of 2015.

While a student at Purdue, Kernodle worked as an intern at Wal-Mart for two years, and that helped fuel her passion for community pharmacy. She looked all over the country in choosing a residency, and the HEB program turned out to be the perfect fit.

As a community pharmacy resident, Kernodle hopes to advance community pharmacy practice. Her professional interests include innovative Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services with a specific passion for patients with diabetes. She also strives to be an engaged member of the community through community service.

“As I was getting ready to graduate from Purdue, I looked at different programs across the country,” says Kernodle. “The HEB program caught my attention. I had the right background, and the teaching component really appealed to me. As a resident, I help facilitate some of the labs and help as a preceptor. I enjoy working with students and training the next generation of pharmacists.”

“My residency is at the Mueller HEB in Austin,” says Kernodle. “I’m really enjoying it. The residency finishes up in June, and I will be staying on with HEB after that as a floater pharmacist, and hopefully later as a full-time staff pharmacist. Coming from out of state, I had no idea what HEB was all about, so I had no expectations. It’s a great company—I’m amazed by all the community outreach HEB has, and how well respected the company is. It’s a great company to be with. There’s a big emphasis on partners here—it has a big family feel.”

“I really like that every day brings new things,” adds Kernodle. “I enjoy the fast pace. There are always new patients, and I like building new relations with patients and counseling them directly. I counsel many patients with diabetes. It’s a prevalent disease, so I see a lot of folks with it.”

Outside of pharmacy, Kernodle enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking and all things outdoors. “I swam competitively through high school,” says, Kernodle, who plans to stay involved with TPA. “My event was the 100-meter butterfly.”

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“I was a clerk,” says Kleinschmidt. “Back then we made prescription labels using carbon copies. It was all done on typewriters, and we used something called a Bates counting machine. You had to pull the original prescription and write the date, the quantity and the price. That’s how you kept up with refills. You’d file it, and the pharmacist would check it against the original. It was a good experience. I worked there through high school, and loved it.”

Kleinschmidt also remembers a relief pharmacist who would come from the Veteran Affairs hospital in Temple.

“I have a heart for helping others, and knew I wanted to get into the healthcare field,” says Kleinschmidt. The relief pharmacist talked me into pursuing a pharmacy career.”

So Kleinschmidt went to Temple Junior College and took a job at the VA pharmacy.

“That experience taught me brand and generic names for medications,” she says. “That was while I was doing my pre-pharmacy courses.”

She then set her sights on The University of Texas College of Pharmacy, where she interviewed with Associate Dean William Sheffield and got accepted in 1982.

“Coming from a small town, it was overwhelming, but UTCOP made you feel like a family member,” says Kleinschmidt. “While I was a student at UT, I worked at Wendland’s Pharmacy in downtown Austin. There were quite a few homeless people who frequented the store.”

After graduating, Kleinschmidt worked as a staff pharmacist for Revco in Giddings, which later became Eckerd’s and then CVS.

“That was right around the time things started to get computerized,” says Kleinschmidt. “There are many aspects of technology that make pharmacy fantastic— being able to see the original prescription, and looking at the data that has been entered—it all helps prevent medication errors.”

Moving from the retail setting, Kleinschmidt took a post as a hospital pharmacist at Richards Memorial in Rockdale in 1989. “It was completely different,” she says. “I learned how to make IVs and total parental nutrition (TPNs). “I worked there for 16 years. It was a stable routine, and that stability allowed me to raise three kids.

Working in different settings has been an education. At the hospital, we had to read every emergency patient’s chart. We were responsible for replacing supplies in the emergency room. I learned a lot about disease and disease treatments. It was an in-patient pharmacy, so the nurses did a lot of the counseling.”
In 2003 Kleinschmidt joined Brookshire Brothers, and has been there ever since.

“When my daughter turned 16, I decided to look into retail. There was a Brookshire Brothers in Rockdale, and they hired me as a relief pharmacist. I worked at the corporate office as district manager for more than four years starting in 2005.

“That was a learning experience as well. I learned to understand contracts between insurance companies and pharmacies. I also learned to write policies. I saw how a complaint/conflict could escalate if not handled correctly. I learned how important the communication and education was between customers, staff and corporate was for keeping everyone happy—it allows everyone do understand each other’s roles. So now I really appreciate working with the current district manager! “

Kleinschmidt became pharmacist in charge at the Rockdale Brookshire Brothers in 2011.

“As PIC, I am responsible for hiring and firing, inventory, staff training,” says Kleinschmidt. “For me it’s the best of both worlds. It’s like an independent pharmacy, but you have the support of the corporate office.
“My favorite part of being a pharmacist is interaction with the customer,” adds Kleinschmidt. “I love my customers, and coworkers. I love coming to work each day. That’s why I went to pharmacy school!”

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Brian Lestico, H-E-B (Laredo)
TPA member Brian Lestico’s parents are both in the pharmacy profession, but that didn’t mean he was headed in that direction himself. At least not at first.

“When I entered college at the University of Texas, the rebellious teenager inside of me knew that pharmacy was not the career path for me,” says Lestico. “However, after working as a manager for Pizza Hut for a couple years and wanting a better paying, non-food industry job, I wised up and found myself working in an HEB pharmacy. I’ve been hooked ever since!”

Lestico earned his Pharm.D. in 2014 at The University of Texas College of Pharmacy, and has nothing but praise for the institution.

“My years spent at the UT-COP are some of the most memorable and best of my life. I took a lot of great classes and met a lot of excellent professors,” says Lestico, who shares an anecdote…

“Outside of my pharmacotherapy courses, which were always great, one class that stood out to me was the anti-microbials elective. Drugs and bugs have always piqued my interest and this course was taught by two great professors, Dr. Patrick Davis and Dr. Emory Martin. One time during this course, I was absent (most likely due to too much fun with classmates the night before), and Dr. Martin noticed that I wasn’t there when he was handing back exams. He decided it would be a good idea to call me on my cell to see why I did not think his class was worth attending. Laughs were had! In my fourth year, I ended up taking an infectious disease rotation with Dr. Martin and he continues to be a mentor of mine.”

In addition to a unique P-4 rotation at TPA, Lestico, who had spent six years working retail as a pharmacy technician, initially thought he’d look at clinical pharmacy during his rotations

“My coursework in pharmacy school and my father being a clinical pharmacist influenced this decision as well. My rotations were heavily clinical-focused, and I even skipped my retail rotation by testing out of it,” says Lestico.

But his career path changed after a move to Laredo.

“The plan was to complete a residency after graduation, but there are zero residencies here on Laredo, and I was not able to land a job in one of the two hospitals right out of school, so I took a job as a pharmacist-in-charge at a Target pharmacy,” says Lestico.

“Working for Target Pharmacy was a great experience. I had the chance to get my feet wet as a pharmacy manager in a relatively slow retail environment, so I had the time to learn the ‘ins and outs.’ Being slow also allowed me to really focus patient care. I had much more time to spend one-on-one time with my patients providing counseling and OTC recommendations.”

Lestico left Target in mid-2015 to pursue his ambitions in clinical pharmacy and landed a job as a clinical staff pharmacist in a Laredo hospital, but recently changed paths again, with a move to H-E-B.

“Although I still believe that hospital or clinical pharmacy is an end career goal of mine, I felt that H-E-B was a better fit for me for the time being. H-E-B has always treated me well, and of all the community chain pharmacies to work for, I think H-E-B ranks among the top tier,” says Lestico. “Also, in Webb County, the local pharmacists are in the process of getting a new TPA chapter which is exciting to be a part of!

“My favorite benefit of being a member of TPA is the opportunity to establish relationships with other pharmacists around the state from all fields of pharmacy. Going to annual TPA meetings like the Leadership Symposium or the annual Conference are a great way for me to network and catch up with my pharmacy friends. I feel the saying

‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,’ holds true especially in the small world of pharmacy. Meeting like-minded pharmacy folks has given me many opportunities thus far in my young career and is sure to provide many more in the future.” 

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Amyn Madhani, H-E-B (San Antonio)

TPA member Amyn Madhani may have gotten a late start in pharmacy, but the experiences he had prior to it have been instrumental in his ability to be a great pharmacy manager.

“I used to be involved in nutrition. I worked for a health/fitness company. So I became familiar with supplements and helped people with health conditions. That started my path to pharmacy,” says Madhani.  

Madhani was originally interested in the business side of things—he’s been everything from part-owner of a night club to owner of an automotive supply business.

“The opportunity came to sell my businesses, so I had time to decide what I wanted to do next,” says Madhani. “I was still very interested in the nutrition side of things, and decided pharmacy would be a great choice.”

Madhani, who was in Dallas at the time, applied to a number of different programs.

“I fell in love with the program at the University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy program and San Antonio became my new home. It really grew on me,” says Madhani, who was 30 when he enrolled.

Madhani, currently president of Bexar County Pharmacy Association, graduated Feik with his Pharm.D. In 2012.

“During my time at Feik, I was involved in a lot of organizations. I was trying to get the most out of my time at College,” says Madhani.

Madhani was offered a position at H-E-B during his P-4 year, and is currently a pharmacy manager at the HEB by Churchill High School on Blanco and West Avenue in San Antonio.

“I had the choice of opening my own pharmacy or finding a good home at a chain pharmacy,” says Madhani. “I feel like my background in business has really helped me as pharmacy manager—taking care of the business, and our customers. I feel that it’s part of my responsibility to contribute to H-E-B’s reputation as a great place to work.”

“I got into pharmacy because of how much I enjoy it. I’ve learned that in the practice side of things, pharmacists must help keep the profession moving. I want to do as much as I can for my part. That’s why I stay involved—everything from precepting, to TPA. It’s all about making my voice heard, and helping advance pharmacy.”

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Royd E. Malmstrom, H-E-B, Westlake
TPA member Royd E. Malmstrom has come a long way from the small farming community of Melvin, TX, not far from Brady. Raised on chores, Malmstrom would milk the cows, go to school, and then repeat.

“There were only 11 of us in my high school class,” says Malmstrom. “We all started together in first grade, and all finished together, and we’ve all been fairly successful. I was lucky enough to have a good teacher who got me interested in chemistry and physics.”

Malmstrom went to the University North Texas, and was looking at pre-med, but later decided to teach high school math in Howe, TX.

“I enjoyed it, but it did not pay much,” said Malmstrom. “So I headed to Austin, and talked with Dean Sheffield, of the UT College of Pharmacy and filled out an application. He said, ‘I think we can find a spot for you.’”

Malmstrom graduated from The University of Texas College of Pharmacy in 1973.

“I loved it, and had some great professors,” says Malmstrom.   “Back then, Kreb cycles were one of the things we were learning—now there are so many different cycles and pathways pharmacy students are learning.”

After earning his BPharm, Malmstrom went to El Paso where he started as a staff pharmacist at Gunning Casteel Drug stores.

“I opened a few stores for them,” says Malmstrom.  “I was very fortunate in that I was under a fellow named Alfonso Sosa, a very good pharmacist who took me under his wing. He was a good mentor. He taught me how to get involved with the patient, rather than the product.  I learned that to get down on their level, and to get to know them. Once you knew patients personally, helping them with prescriptions became easier.”

Moving up the Chain
When Skillerns bought Gunning Casteel, Malmstrom was promoted to regional pharmacy supervisor for Austin and Waco. And when Skillerns was getting ready to be bought by Revco/Rite Aid, he went to Tom Thumb in Oak Hill.

“I loved working there,” says Malmstrom. "Tom Thumb was sold to Albertsons, and I spent the next 32 years with Albertsons. The Albertsons I worked at was subsequently acquired by HEB, and I’ve been at the Westlake HEB store for eight years—20 overall, if you count that it was Albertsons!”

“I can’t say enough about HEB and their philosophy of philanthropy,” says Malmstrom. “They give a lot back to Texas. The HEB culture is one of community involvement.”

Changes Along the Way
“When I first started in pharmacy, there was no counseling required,” says Malmstrom. “I’d say pharmacy is more clinical now. But we’ve lost something along the way—the empathy—putting yourself in your patient’s shoes. Now, everyone wants instant results. I believe that this is in part due a result of the smartphone culture. It’s more hectic now, so that can make pharmacists a little less involved. Additionally, pharmacists must be the medication experts now. It’s not possible for physicians to keep up with all the new drugs. So I think it’s more important than ever for pharmacists to educate patients.”

“I hope through innovation, that the digital aspect of pharmacy will change so that we can look into the mail order history of patients—allowing us to have a more complete picture,” adds Malmstrom. “And the diagnosis of patients should be better shown to pharmacists to help clearly identify patients’ needs. I want the scope of pharmacy to leapfrog again so that pharmacists are first-stage triage.”

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Sandra Mathoslah, USPHS (Fort Worth)

Sandra Mathoslah likes making a difference. That may explain her choice of pharmacy practice settings. A lieutenant in the United States Public Health Service, Mathoslah is currently a senior pharmacist at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Worth.

“Even though my dad works for Walgreens as an executive manager, I kind of got into pharmacy accidently,” says Mathoslah, who has been named the 2016 TPA Distinguished Young Pharmacist.

“Some friends had started pharmacy school and told me how many opportunities existed—not just retail, but elsewhere. So I took the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and did well. Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy in South Florida extended me an offer before I heard from UT or any other college.”

While a student at Nova, Mathoslah looked for a different kind of externship.

“I applied for a student training externship program as a P3,” said Mathoslah. “They selected a few of us while I was still in pharmacy school. I guess you could say that everything I do is atypical. I wanted to be in an underserved population, and it was important for me to be in a place where my service counted. Once I heard about United States Public Health Service (USPHS), it was a done deal.”

Originally from Houston, Mathoslah wanted to get back to Texas, and jumped at the chance to relocate to Fort Worth.

“What happens is that they rank you and they look for a match. When they choose you, they tell you what sites are available. I wanted to be in Texas, and I wanted Fort Worth. I love Fort Worth—I’m always discovering new things!”

Mathoslah has found her work as a pharmacist in a prison setting to be very fulfilling, though she is well aware that working as a female in an all-male correctional facility is not without challenges.

 “LT Sandra Mathoslah is an extraordinary officer and pharmacist at such an early point in her career,” said Captain Jamal Gwathney of USPHS. “She is in the top 1% of all the pharmacists who I have worked with over my 20-year medical career.”

“About 70% of the inmates are here for crimes that are drug related,” says Mathoslah. “It can be challenging. Being here has taught me that if I respect myself, even inmates will respect me. I’ve learned to ‘figuratively’ speak the language of other people. Your non-verbal cues, how you carry yourself are all important. If you carry yourself with confidence—especially around inmates, they will treat you in kind.”

“I like the saying, ‘When the darkness is very dark, even the smallest of candles lights up the place.’ I like that I am making a difference,” adds Mathoslah.

One of Mathoslah’s early accomplishments at the prison has been a wellness program she helped implement along with her colleague Justin Dalykas.

“With the wellness program, we give inmates ‘tools’ to take care of themselves,” says Mathoslah. “The main goal of the wellness program is to minimize chronic medication. We do labs at zero, three and six months. At the three-month marker we’ve seen significant results. How we treat inmates here dictates how they treat us once they are back in the community. It’s a chance for me to talk to them candidly and give them psychological counseling.”

“LT Mathoslah has shown her capacity as a leader in the pharmacy profession by developing a program to incorporate a more holistic approach to health care for the inmates,” commented Rear Admiral Pamela Schweitzer, Chief Professional Officer of Pharmacy of the United States Public Health Service.  “This wellness program she recently implemented involves several departments and has the potential to reduce the number of medications ordered and dispensed for each inmate, improve inmates' overall health and reduce medication purchasing cost for the institution.”

“It’s [the Federal Correctional Institution] an interesting place to work,” says Mathoslah. “I found a need which met a passion of mine, and I took it and ran. I’m not the type of person who just wants to collect a paycheck.”

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When your dad is a veterinarian, it’s natural that you might grow up wanting to be a vet. However, allergies to certain common animals could be an obstacle.

“When my dad opened his veterinary practice, I worked for him but was allergic to cats,” says TPA member Ryan May, a P4 at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

So when May went off to school at Texas A&M, he began looking at other options, including pharmacy.

“At A&M the bio-med program is geared toward veterinary students,” says May. “I was most interested in the drugs and chemistry aspect of it.”

May received his BS at A&M in 2010, and took a detour before enrolling in pharmacy school.

“I was getting ready to get married, and postponed my pharmacy degree,” he says. “I worked at M.D. Anderson as a veterinary technologist, and in the pharmaceutical development center.”

May subsequently began his pharmacy studies at the University of Houston COP in 2012.

“The program has been really good,” says May. “My background in chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology really helped make a smooth transition to UHCOP. I’d say your P2 year is probably the toughest year—it’s the first time you’re exposed to all new material, and you’re more involved in leadership roles.

May is currently doing his last rotation—at the ambulatory care anti-coagulation clinic at Harris Health System’s Quentin Mease Community Hospital. He also did rotations in retail; community pharmacy; internal medicine (with a focus on critical care), veterinary pharmaceutical care, and management (with TPA Immediate Past President Carole Hardin-Oliver of Walgreens); along with a compounding rotation at Hill Country Apothecary (Austin).

“I liked the compounding quite a bit,” says May. “It was a unique setting, with a dietician and nutritionist—I got to see a lot of different things.”

It was that rotation that really stuck with May.

“I really want to work at an independent pharmacy, and one that includes compounding,” he says. “And I’m looking to be a certified nutritionist. I’d like to build relationships with veterinarians as well, and help them with compounding issues. I‘d also like to reach out to physicians—setting up a collaborative practice agreement to manage specific disease states.”

A TPA member since 2012, May has been to every Leadership Symposium, but can’t make this one since his wife Britney is pregnant with their first child and due by late March. "I'm a little disappointed I don't get to go this year, but am really excited to become a dad and look forward to future opportunities with TPA and in the field of pharmacy," says May.

“I’ve been to several of the conferences, and I’ve enjoyed them all. I really enjoy the Leadership Symposium, especially during a legislative year. It’s great meeting legislators at the Capitol, and talking pharmacy with them.”

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Mark Meece, Plaza Pharmacy and Wellness Center (Gainesville)
The Meece family has a long history with Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, OK, so when it came time for TPA member Mark Meece to go to pharmacy school, he didn’t give it a second thought.

“About seven of us went through pharmacy school there,” says Meece. “My dad Jerry, his uncle and uncle’s wife, Jerry’s oldest brother, and two cousins. The pharmacy program was always challenging, but interesting”

Meece always knew he was headed for pharmacy.

“I delivered prescriptions on my bicycle as a kid,” recalls Meece. “I enjoyed all the folks who would talk and give me a glass of lemonade. I did a lot of the typical ‘kid’ jobs.

“I knew it was what I wanted to do,” he says. “I knew by high school that I wanted to be a pharmacist. The way patients looked to my dad for help…I saw that that was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Meece earned his Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1998, and tried out “big chain pharmacy.”

“I worked for Walmart for a year in Denison, TX right out of school,” says Meece. “I felt like it would be a good idea to get ‘big chain experience’. I definitely enjoyed some aspects of it.”

But it wasn’t long before Meece joined up with his father’s operation, Plaza Pharmacy and Wellness Center, which has been in business since 1981.

“My dad, Jerry was beginning to implement a diabetes program,” says Meece. “We had a close family friend that had diabetes, but more than anything, he saw that it was an upcoming epidemic, and knew that it was one of the big fronts that healthcare would be fought on.”

Meece started at Plaza in 1999 as a staff pharmacist.

“When I came in, one of my primary roles was to increase the compounding business,” he says. “One of the first areas was in hospice care. We began to meet with nurses and doctors from local hospices. Another area we expanded into was hormone replacement, and pain management. We also did some veterinary.”

Mark now owns Plaza Pharmacy and Wellness Center and continues his pharmacist duties.

“In 2006, I began the process of buying out my dad. I am now the current owner and Jerry is director of clinical services. We have about 10 employees on staff: Two full-time pharmacists, a part time pharmacist, five full-time technicians, office staff, and so forth.”

On a typical day, Mark splits his day between regular customer service and the non-sterile compounding lab, which is a steady part of Plaza Pharmacy’s business.

“My favorite aspect of pharmacy is building relationships with people, and being able to help them out. I’ve been lucky to grow up in the same town I do business in, and serve ongoing generations. We have a strong sense of community.”

He’s also a strong supporter of his profession, and encourages others to do so.

“I think you have to be involved to the extent that you can be,” says Meece. “At minimum, I think Texas pharmacy professionals should be members of TPA. There are very few organizations looking out for pharmacy right now, and it’s more important than it’s ever been.”
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Muniz Rio Grande Pharmacy is definitely a family-run business. It’s also a great model of how pharmacies can implement patient-care services.

“My uncle Robert, and several cousins are pharmacists,” says Muniz. “After undergraduate school (University of Texas at Brownsville), I wondered what my next step would be. I spoke to my wife about our family life, since we had four children already, and how important it is. I thought of my Uncle Robert who has been able to provide care for patients and still have time for his family so I went and met with him. Robert helped explain what it was like to be a pharmacist. After talking with him, I was swayed toward pharmacy as a career.”

Muniz, earned his Pharm.D. in 2012 from Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy in Kingsville, TX, and is now one of the principal players at Muniz Rio Grande Pharmacy. Muniz Rio Grande Pharmacy was founded by Robert Muniz and Ray Acosta in 1988, and now has around 20 employees.

“Seven of us our related,” says Muniz. “It’s definitely a family-style business. We all push forward, and if there are any issues, we work together to solve them. We treat customers like family as well. Overall it’s a positive thing working with family.”

As a student, Muniz had done a rotation at Harlingen Medical Center and liked working with the other practitioners. That experience stuck with him, and since joining Muniz Rio Grande Pharmacy, he has made a point of building relationships with area physicians.

“At our pharmacy, we work closely with physicians,” says Muniz. “I have a really good relationship with the majority of physicians in our area, and that helps. I have a fellowship in metabolic and nutritional medicine. So when I am dealing with patients who have hypertension for example and who do not want to take medications, I’ll partner with their physicians to see what we can do.

“Obviously, physicians know what to prescribe, but if a patient comes to us and wants a consultation, we’ll help them figure out what’s going to help using life-style modifications. We do a lot of hormone consultations. We recommend that patients get tested by their physicians. We then set up a meeting with their physicians, and work with them regarding patients’ symptoms and outcomes. We also hold health-related seminars Muniz Rio Grande Pharmacy.”

As Muniz builds his model of providing patient services in the Rio Grande area, he has made a number of important observations.

“Just being part of the whole healthcare team is huge,” says Muniz. “You see a lot of that partnership among practitioners in clinical and academic settings, but patient services are not as prevalent in community settings.

So we’re trying to bring all that together. In hospital settings, patients can be in an acute phase or have complications from diseases. But in the community setting we see these patients way before they get to the hospital. The advantage is that we can make sure that patients are being adherent, and that they are getting the best outcomes. We’re all in this together.”

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“Sometimes it’s difficult, and it takes courage, but it is worth it,” says Muppidi, who grew up in Mumbai, India.
Muppidi earned her Pharmacy degree from The Bombay College of Pharmacy in 1991, and worked for Merck for a brief time. But a scholarship beckoned, and she headed to The University of Texas at Austin for a PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology. “While I felt the PhD would be the next logical step, I wasn’t necessarily interested in pursuing academia. I ended up taking business classes at McCombs School of Business. Pharmacy was in the back of my mind all along,” says Muppidi, who later earned an MBA at Texas State in 2000.

Zachary Parker, Parker’s City Pharmacy

Parker’s City Pharmacy in Seguin is run by a father and son team. That would be Zachary Parker and his dad Doug Parker (TPA president in 2001).

“Parker’s City Pharmacy has been in operation since 1907,” said Zachary. “I believe we are the seventh oldest operating pharmacy in Texas. My grandfather, Homer Parker, took over the business from a family member in 1938, the same year he graduated from the University of Texas. My dad grew up in a pharmacy, and so did I. I was never pushed into it, but it just seemed the way to go.”

Parker graduated from The University of Texas College of Pharmacy in 2001 in one of the last classes to have an option to choose between a BS in Pharmacy or a Pharm.D.

“I went for the Pharm.D.,” says Parker. “I didn’t know what I was going to pursue, and I wanted to keep my options open. The clinical field was growing, and I wanted to take care of getting the Pharm.D.”

Parker worked at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas for about five years right out of school, and got in some great experience working closely with other medical personnel.

“It’s a teaching hospital, and they really respected pharmacists,” says Parker. “Having pharmacists on the hospital floors making rounds with doctors was a new concept. We’d go on rounds and the doctors would check on patients and then follow up with by meeting with us, and we’d make recommendations. The next morning, we’d keep following the patient to see if they were doing better, and we’d check for interactions or other issues.”

However, in 2006, Parker’s dad called asking if he wanted to work for the family business.

“The CEO at that time was very ‘pharmacy-friendly,’ but there was a shake-up in leadership. It was a good time for me to make a move, says Parker.”

It was the right move, and Zachary has been helping build the operation’s business for the past 10 years.

“We’re thriving,” says Parker of the business. “Another independent closed down, so we doubled our business. We sell medical equipment. My father (Doug) brought compounding into the operation, and he continues to do the compounding today. I’m more of the ‘IT’ guy around here. I take care of Facebook, website, etcetera. Doug is still the pharmacist-in-charge, and I’m a staff pharmacist. It’s an advantage to plan together, so I’d say a father-son relationship is a ‘business positive.’”

Parker’s City Pharmacy may be old, but there is an advantage to having been around for decades.

“People remember our family, and they pass it on down to through the generations,” says Parker. “If my daughter becomes a pharmacist, that will continue. Of course, she’s only six right now.”

Parker cites strong customer service as a defining aspect of what makes the pharmacy successful.

“We’ve been approached several times by phone-call automation vendors, but we’ve declined, says Parker. “We like a live person to answer the phone. If the phone rings, you are going to get a live person. That’s one reason why we’ve survived while being surrounded by big companies.”

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Justin Pedigo, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock

As a sergeant in the Army, TPA member Justin Pedigo was a leader for an air-assault infantry team. His experience helping wounded civilians eventually led him to a career in pharmacy.

Dr. Pedigo was responsible for the training, morale, welfare, physical fitness, and accountability of a four-man air-assault team within a nine-member squad.

“A company is made of four platoons, and each platoon has four squads of nine people each,” says Dr. Pedigo. “I was a sergeant and team leader in an air-assault team. I did two deployments to Iraq—2005–2006, and 2007­–2008.

Dr. Pedigo’s experiences­­­ in Iraq got him interested in the healthcare field.

“We did combat medical training, and how to care for the wounded,” says Dr. Pedigo, who saw plenty of active combat.

“One time an insurgent car bomb went off when kids were walking to school. They were targeting our platoon, but our schedule was off, and that worked for us, but unfortunately, the detonation injured the Iraqi school kids. That was one of my first experiences—we were involved in helping out the kids, stopping the bleeding. The second incident was when we worked with the Iraqi militia. One evening we were hanging out ‘on call.’ One of our Iraqi militia men hit a land mine. He was badly injured, and went into shock. I was on the “first aid” medic team, and we helped stabilize him before he could be med-evaced out. He survived, so that was great.”

Dr. Pedigo served in the Army for five years, and after he was “stop lossed” for a year, he enrolled at the University of North Texas for pre-pharmacy course work, followed by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy at Abilene, where he graduated with a Pharm.D. in May of 2016.

“I loved the program,” says Dr. Pedigo. “The first year was pretty tough, but once I got into a groove, I did really well. We had informal study groups, and that helped. My favorite course was toxicology. The toughest ones were bio-chemistry my P1 year, and infectious diseases.”

Dr. Pedigo is currently doing his residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock.

“I decided to do a residency because I’m competitive—I want to do the best I can, and felt that it would be a good challenge. Plus, I think it would improve my job security, by making myself a more competitive pharmacist in the market place,” says Dr. Pedigo.

Dr. Pedigo’s residency will continue for two years and finish up in July of 2018.

“I really like researching and expanding things. Right now my residency is in Pharmacotherapy. It’s a two year program that provides experiences in internal medicine, critical care, ambulatory care, and academia in order to develop a skill set that allows for an easy transition between the various types of pharmacy practice. Though I feel that my career path is wide open, I am interested in academia- I feel that’s where I’m headed.”

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Heidi Pervere, Central Admixture Pharmacy Services, Inc. (Dallas)

TPA member Heidi Pervere’s dad is a pharmacist, and owned his own retail pharmacy called Plaza Apothecary when she was growing up in Columbus, Ohio.

After moving to Lake Kiowa, Texas, when she was in high school, Pervere excelled at science and math, and began to get interested in pursuing pharmacy.

“I was the valedictorian at Callisburg High School. I knew I wanted to go to The University of Texas and study pharmacy. I was one of the last students who were on the Pharmacy BS five-year program. I loved it—my pharmacy class had about 30 people in it. It was a good atmosphere for me,” says Pervere, who worked as an IV pharmacy technician during her time as a student.

The IV training would prove to be a determining factor in her career path.

“During rotations, I was attracted to a hospital setting,” says Pervere. “I was familiar with retail from growing up in that in that environment, and knew I wanted to try something else. I did my six-week rotation at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital. I worked with the Neonatal Intensive Care pharmacists. I really liked the IV side of pharmacy. We worked with preemies, so you had to be very careful—dosing is critical. I worked with the doctors and nurses, monitoring the dosing, mixing and dispensing the intravenous medications.”

Pervere ended up getting a job at Presbyterian, working in the main IV room and neonatal ICU satellite. She later went to work in a home healthcare setting for patients who have been discharged from hospitals but still need IV therapy.

Pervere is currently working at Central Admixture Pharmacy Services, Inc. (CAPS) as a senior pharmacist, a position she’s had since 2003. CAPS, the nation's largest network of outsourcing admixture pharmacies is a pioneer in the outsourcing of compounded sterile preparations, and delivers high-quality admixture services and solutions to hospitals and outpatient facilities.

“We make total parenteral nutrition—that’s what CAPS is known for. We are an outsourcing pharmacy. An admixture refers to the intravenous sterile compounding. I work in the compounding room some days, but also do customer work and projects.

“Parenteral nutrition is for people who cannot absorb or process food,” says Pervere. “It could be preemies, or post-surgery—any time one needs to take a break from normal eating to heal and cannot tolerate enteral nutrition.”

Parenteral nutrition typically consists of fats, carbohydrates, protein, electrolytes, vitamins and trace elements. Depending on the patient’s lab work, their nutrition orders will have different percentages of those components.

“Hospitals rely on us to free their pharmacists up for more patient care and clinical duties. They send us their orders via our website, then we deliver directly back to the hospital pharmacy. We service a large percentage of hospitals in the DFW area.”

Once hospitals log onto the CAPS website and enter the orders, CAPS pharmacists import them and checks for errors.

“Then we print a label with a bar code,” says Pervere. “The bar code tells the software what ingredients to pump into the TPN bag. The automated compounding process and bar coded manual-add-system (MAS) verify ingredient accuracy.”

“I enjoy the variety in my job,” says Pervere. “And I know that what I am doing is going to positively affect patients. That’s part of the reason I love this job. I know I’m making a difference for patients who need help.”

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Sherrie B. Roach, H-E-B (Austin)

TPA member Sherrie B. Roach know a good thing when she finds it.

“I’ve been with H-E-B for 32 years,” says Roach. “It’s been a very good company to work for. It’s grown a lot since

I first started, and it remains a great environment.”

Roach worked in the pharmacy at the University Hospital in San Antonio right out of high school, and attended The University of Texas College of Pharmacy, where she graduated in 1984 with a BPharm.

“At that time, UT and the University of Houston College of Pharmacy were the main choices,” says Roach.

“It was a great program,” says Roach of the BS Pharm five-year degree plan. “The camaraderie was huge. We all started together and had classes together. You make friends that last a lifetime.”

Roach had some early experience working at some retail locations, including Revco (now CVS), and liked the retail environment. So H-E-B was a natural fit for a practice setting choice.

“I came to HEB after an internship during my last semester of school,” says Roach. “My first location was in San Antonio on Bandera Road. I’ve worked at quite a few different H-E-Bs. I was pharmacy manager in six to seven stores beginning in 1990 in the San Antonio area. I’ve also been the regional pharmacist trainer for H-E-B in San Antonio.”

“We [H-E-B] had always hired pharmacists, and then just promoted them to managers without any necessary training,” says Roach of her stint as regional pharmacist trainer. “That led to people being managers without a lot of background. We realized people needed real training time outside of their production. I was part of the training pilot program. It helped improve retention and gave people better tools to work with. The training pilot was a success and continues to this day. You’re basically running a multi-million dollar department, so you need to have the right tools to know what to do.”

“What I like about being a pharmacist is helping people. And I like being a role model for folks as well—seeing people succeed. Maybe something I did will help them along the way.”

Roach re-located to Austin in 2008, and is quite fond of her new home.

“I love Austin, even more than San Antonio. I managed an H-E-B for a few years, then went to 30 hours, and now

I’m doing a 20-hour job share. Job sharing is one of the programs HEB offers. There are 30-hour and 20-hour job-sharing opportunities, and then there’s relief pharmacist positions. I like the job-sharing because it’s consistent—you know the routine, and you know the customers.”

When not at the H-E-B pharmacy, you’ll often find Roach at the local golf course.

“I’m a golfer, and I love golf courses,” says Roach. “They’re quiet—no phones ringing—and you have peace and serenity. And I like that you’re playing against yourself. My goal is to shoot less than 100. Twin Creek in Cedar Park is my home course. It’s a great peaceful break from the everyday hustle and bustle. In pharmacy, things are going on every minute!”

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