ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 17, 2021) — The National Community Pharmacists Association is pleased to announce that Happy Druggist in Mechanicsburg, Ohio, has earned the 2021 NCPA Innovation Center Excellence Award for Best Delivery Vehicle. This is the fourth year of the NICE Awards competition, which was created to recognize pharmacies for their efforts to enhance their value, promote their services, and better serve their communities. The NICE Awards are sponsored by QS/1.
“Congratulations to Happy Druggist for earning the NICE Award for Best Delivery Vehicle,” said Kurt Proctor, PhD, RPh, president of the NCPA Innovation Center. “The NICE Awards spotlight the best of community pharmacy branding and marketing – the innovations and redesigns that have made promotions more effective and patients’ experiences more rewarding. We have no doubt that Happy Druggist patients are now enjoying and benefiting from the expanded, personalized delivery services their local independent pharmacy is offering.”
When pharmacy owner Joe Craft purchased what is now Happy Druggist, he quickly ordered a Chevrolet Equinox SUV from the local dealership and greatly expanded the pharmacy’s delivery area. Craft says his mentor, fellow Ohio pharmacy owner Ernie Sparks, once told him, “You have to have a delivery car and you need to have your logo on it.” Craft put some decals on the vehicle, and the pharmacy’s delivery business doubled in the two months after putting the car in service in September 2020.
Craft is also the owner of three other pharmacies. At his other stores, he has a couple of Honda CRVs and several delivery vans, all adorned with company signage. Along with being seen out and about on deliveries, Craft’s vehicles have gotten publicity in other ways, such as driving in parades in Columbus. Some are parked in front of the store for some extra visibility.
Craft says a van serving his West Jefferson patients traveled about 30,000 miles in four years, while the CRV in Plain City clocked 40,000 miles in one year. He says every five years or so he will review his fleet and decide if he needs replacement vehicles and refreshed signage. “Not everybody will get delivery, but it’s good to know that it’s available if they need it,” Craft says.
Happy Druggist was established in 1999. Its products and services include standard retail, immunizations, medication therapy management, medication synchronization, durable medical equipment, compounding, free local delivery, online prescription access, diabetes footwear, gifts and cards, automatic refills, and general health news and videos.
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Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing more than 21,000 pharmacies that employ 250,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America's most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.
