COLUMBUS, Ohio (Oct. 27, 2024) – Korey Kreider, owner of the Medicine Man Prairie Pharmacy in Hayden, Idaho, has received this year’s NARD Ownership Award from the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation as part of NCPA’s Annual Convention, being held Oct. 26-29 in Columbus, Ohio.
The NARD Ownership Award recognizes an independent community pharmacist who embraces entrepreneurial spirit through promotion and demonstrated excellence in the field of community pharmacy ownership. NARD, or the National Association of Retail Druggists, was for a century the name associated with independent pharmacy. The organization was founded in 1898, and now as NCPA, represents the nation’s community pharmacists.
Medicine Man Prairie Pharmacy was established in 1990 and serves a diverse community in northern Idaho. Kreider, who was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene, began working at the pharmacy in 2008 as a pharmacy intern. Their ambition and strong affinity for community pushed them to partner with the previous owner, and after they graduated from pharmacy school in 2021, Kreider became the sole owner of Medicine Man Prairie Pharmacy.
Due to the high percentage of patients without primary doctors and the opportunity to provide comprehensive care beyond medication dispensing, Kreider and the pharmacy team set out to bring access to care to their patients. Kreider began connecting with PCPs in the area to learn their pain points and listen to what services they could provide to support their practices. This led Kreider to implement vaccinations, rapid testing, urgent care services, weight loss management, and asthma management at Medicine Man Prairie Pharmacy. Kreider also established a buprenorphine clinic in August of 2023 due to the rise of substance use disorders within the community.
Kreider envisions further evolving their clinical services with additional offerings like expanded lab testing and overall health management programs for chronic conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. Kreider is exploring testing partnerships with diagnostic labs and investing in staff training programs focused on advanced clinical service delivery methodologies to meet future demands effectively.
“Medicine Man Prairie acclimates to meet the needs of the Idaho patient with prescription medications, in addition to compounding for the community’s specialty needs in hospice, veterinary medicine, and the increasing supply and demand challenges for diabetic and heart health conditions,” wrote a member of the public in a testimonial. “This Idaho independent is putting Idaho on the map with their innovations in the practice of pharmacy. I sincerely hope you find Medicine Man Prairie Pharmacy as motivational as I and award them this prestigious award.”
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The NCPA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1953 to honor the previous incarnation of NCPA, the National Association of Retail Druggists (NARD) Executive Secretary John W. Dargavel. Contributions to the foundation are tax-deductible as charitable donations to the extent permitted under federal tax law. The NCPA Foundation improves community-based health care access by supporting efforts that promote the sustainability and growth of independent community pharmacists, the most accessible health care provider, through scholarships, grants, and ownership development. For more information, go to www.ncpafoundation.org.
