Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year Awarded to Bunch Pharmacy in Alabama for Innovation, Patient Care

Bunch Pharmacy in Guntersville, Alabama, has been named the 2022 Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year, after demonstrating years of patient care and engagement in their community.

“I’m so excited for Bunch Pharmacy,” Eyad Farah, president of Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas, said to Pharmacy Times. “They have just done an outstanding job in their community, so congratulations to [Health Mart owner Buddy Bunch, RPh, PIC] and his entire team at Bunch Pharmacy for this amazing award, so well deserved.”

Following presentations on July 8 and voting by attendees at McKesson ideaShare 2022, the award was announced July 9 at the Final Night Party. Health Mart has been awarding a Pharmacy of the Year for more than 20 years, celebrating a top performing Health Mart pharmacy with staff who are passionate about patient care, innovation, and remaining active in their communities.¹

“The Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year is really an award that recognizes top performing pharmacies, and we look for specific characteristics,” Farah said. “It’s the innovative thinking, the leadership in the profession, obviously a lot of focus on patient care, and just the relentless work that they do around the community.”

Bunch Pharmacy has been a Health Mart pharmacy since 2008. Bunch has worked with state legislators to pass the Patient’s Right to Choose law protecting patients and community pharmacies from pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) overreach, and said it is important to be involved in legislative efforts.

“[The award is] a great honor,” Bunch said to Pharmacy Times. “There’s so many out there that are as deserving or more deserving than we are. We just try to do things the right way, but it is an honor.”

Bunch is also deeply involved in the state pharmacy associations, and he has served as president of the Alabama Pharmacy Association and is a current member of the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy. Notably, Bunch Pharmacy was also awarded the Bowl of Hygeia award by the American Pharmacists Association in 2016, recognizing pharmacies that exhibit outstanding civic leadership.

“I think it’s all about the customer,” Bunch said. “It’s just looking after them, taking care of the customer, and they’ll take care of you.”

As a finalist for the award, Family Pharmacy in Carol Stream, Illinois, also has a major focus on serving customers. Owned by Nancy and Phil Thomas, PIC, and a Health Mart pharmacy since 2007, pharmacy manager Natasha Patel said she is proud that a pharmacy staff member will always answer the phone during business hours.

“Just being in the community for so many years differentiates us from, say, the chains or any other pharmacy in the area,” Phil Thomas said to Pharmacy Times.

In addition, Thomas hosts “Fridays with Phil” on YouTube, garnering quite a following and providing information and advice to patients. He said that the pharmacy has grown, recently launching durable equipment services, and continuing to expand patient services. Thomas also frequently speaks at universities and other venues.

Finally, finalist Sam’s Pharmacy in Moberly, Missouri, is family-owned and operated by Sam and Christian Tadrus, PharmD, and has been a Health Mart pharmacy since 2011. The pharmacy was nominated for several reasons, including its close involvement with national and state pharmacy organizations, such as the National Community Pharmacists Association, CPESN, the Missouri State Board of Pharmacy, and the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs.¹

Health Mart also presented the first ever Innovation Award at McKesson ideaShare 2022. The new award recognizes a pharmacy with uniquely innovative offerings that go above and beyond the standard of care. The award was given to CDM Drugs in Corona del Mar, California.²

Since buying the pharmacy in 2015, owner Laleh Ford, PharmD, has continued to grow the business. CDM Drugs has received prestigious designations, including Utilization Review Accreditation Commission Accreditation as a specialty pharmacy and the Verified Pharmacy Program Accreditation from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy for compounding. With these accreditations, Ford and her team have designed tailored formulations to provide personalized care for patients.²

REFERENCE

1. 2022 Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year. McKesson ideaShare. https://mckessonideashare.com/pharmacy-of-the-year/
2. Email. Health Mart Innovation Award. Received July 9, 2022.