I am NCPA

PHARMACY: Olympic Pharmacy, Gig Harbor, Wash.

EDUCATION: Oregon State University, B.S. in pharmacy

LOCATION DETAILS: The pharmacy dispenses 300-500 prescriptions per day. It offers nonsterile compounding, medication synchronization, and compliance packaging. The 12 employees include pharmacists, technicians, and assistants

The store is 19,000 square feet and is in a building shared with other health care practices. One-third of that is the pharmacy, and the rest is retail and durable medical equipment. It is also equipped with a three-lane drive-thru. The company does respiratory therapy and complex rehab, rebuilds custom-made wheelchairs and other devices, and sells other resupply services. Olympic is developing a long-term care pharmacy at home program, and is planning to develop a point-of-care test-and-treat program.

EMERGING PHARMACY TRENDS: Jen says one emerging opportunity that Olympic is taking advantage of is collaborative practice agreements.

"On point-of-care testing and treating, we have an urgent care in our building. So just to test for flu, COVID, strep, UTIs, they can do that—but they're so busy that often the wait is hours," she says. "The doctor who has signed our collaborative practice agreement says, ‘No, it would be great to have you help with that, because then I don't have to bog up my appointments for a UTI.'"

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Thanks to its DME offerings, the pharmacy can hold equipment clinics at various locations in the community such as assisted living facilities. It also participates in Night to Shine, a prom night for people over age 14 with special needs, and once participated in the Gig Harbor Maritime Parade. The pharmacy has Santa come by around Christmas, does a Trunk or Treat on Halloween, and runs flu clinics during vaccination season.

NCPA'S ROLE: Jen says NCPA is critical for independent pharmacies in pushing for PBM reform.

"I'm so underwater on so many claims and it's just painful to see the loss that I take on prescription claims," she says. "When I worked at a chain store, I had no idea. You got a claim to go through and it would process and you got paid. But now I see the whole thing, I'm having to purchase it and see the money go out the door. NCPA helps with lobbying for PBM reform. They're our voice."

WHAT MAKES A GOOD COMMUNITY PHARMACIST? Jen says the key to being an effective community pharmacist is maintaining relationships with patients.

She says high-quality care at an independent community pharmacy means helping patients troubleshoot their problems, being honest with patients while also being approachable, and explaining how to take care of themselves without medication, such as living a more active lifestyle.

"They don't have anyone they can really trust," she says. "It's also important to be flexible and meet the patient where they are. One of our patients had been on clonazepam for 30 years and couldn't get off the medication. She'd been tapering down but couldn't bridge the gap to being fully off it."

Olympic then compounded it into a suspension that she could take bit by bit. After a few years, the patient was able to stop using the drug.

"I got a call that she was finally off. She was just so grateful for all of the time and patience working with her to get that done. It was life changing for her," Jen says.