Video Highlights Role of Independent Pharmacists in Patients’ Lives

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (July 21, 2016)—A new online video announced today by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) illustrates the personal care that people receive at independent community pharmacies, the contributions of community pharmacists to better coordinated health care and how small business pharmacies support their local communities.

The video, entitled “Theresa Tolle—Independent Pharmacist and the Backbone of Her Community,” was produced in conjunction with Live Oak Bank. It profiles Theresa Tolle, RPh, owner of Bay Street Pharmacy, which serves the Sebastian, Florida, area with the motto, “Where caring people care for you.” The video emphasizes the superlative care provided by community pharmacies and complements a previous video, also produced by Live Oak Bank and NCPA, featuring Danny Cottrell, RPh, that highlights the civic, philanthropic and economic contributions of independent community pharmacies.

“Patients often say they choose to rely on independent community pharmacies because they are treated like family and that they want to support their local community and economy,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. “Theresa’s story and the care provided by her pharmacy perfectly illustrate that dynamic. NCPA is proud to represent more than 22,000 independent community pharmacies like Theresa’s. I also want to give credit to Live Oak Bank. We appreciate their partnership and expertise in taking Theresa’s story and crafting an informative and entertaining video. Live Oak is a vital partner to independent community pharmacies in both their expansion plans and ownership transition.”

“Theresa is just one example of the thousands of independent pharmacists impacting their communities in major ways,” said Jimmy Neil, general manager of pharmacy lending at Live Oak Bank. “Theresa’s focus on the customer and going above and beyond the call of duty is truly remarkable. We are proud to call her a customer and friend.”

“I think one of the ways Bay Street Pharmacy makes a difference is that we get to know our patients,” Tolle says in the video. “We know them on a first-name basis when they come in the pharmacy. They trust us so they come in and ask questions. If something’s not going right, often the pharmacist is the first line, even before the physician, because we’re so easy to get to. They can walk in and ask a question.”

Bay Street Pharmacy is the only independent pharmacy in the Sebastian River area of approximately 45,000 people on Florida’s Atlantic coast. In addition to filling prescriptions and counseling on medication use, the pharmacy offers a home health line of durable medical equipment products and specialty items for people with diabetes. The pharmacy hosts a diabetes club where each month trained experts help educate patients with diabetes about nutrition and exercise.

The video also illustrates how community pharmacists coordinate with other health care providers to close gaps in care and improve outcomes.

“I’m a firm believer that pharmacists are part of a team and that we all have to work as health care professionals with the patient to take really great care of them,” Tolle says.

In particular her pharmacy stepped in to help a gentleman recuperating from a broken back, just discharged from the hospital. He was unable to get his prescriptions filled at other pharmacies and contacted Bay Street Pharmacy.

“This gentleman was discharged from the hospital on a weekend and unfortunately his care was not coordinated. There was not a plan for his medicines to be filled and he was on medicines that not every pharmacy carries,” Tolle recalls. “We fortunately were able to stand in the gap when he was not being taken care of the way he should have.”

The pharmacy staff stayed open after normal weekend operating hours, called the insurance company to sort out the billing and provided the patient with the medications he needed to go home rather than be readmitted to the hospital at a far greater expense.

“I rave about them because they are just awesome,” said Chlarissa Powers, the patient’s caregiver. “They are just awesome people.”

“It’s great to be able to help people and treat people the way they deserve to be treated,” Tolle concludes. “I wouldn’t be in any other profession. I count my blessings every day.”

The video closes by encouraging viewers to visit ncpanet.org and find a local independent community pharmacy. A pharmacy locator is available on the web page. The video is featured on NCPA’s YouTube channel as well as on the NCPA Independent Pharmacy Today web page.