The J & J Pharmacy Podcast

Episode 107: Pharmasave Miniseries - Mehul Patel (Clive, Alberta)

Please email your resume and cover letters to: Pharmasaveclive@gmail.com [Pharmasaveclive@gmail.com]    To help round out our Pharmasave Miniseries, we had the fantastic opportunity to interview Mehul Patel, the owner of the Clive location.   It’s almost a recurring theme at this point, but Mehul also had an interesting career journey, actually working as a scientist before deciding to switch to pharmacy as he was eager to seek connection with patients. From there, he worked in the corporate world for almost 10 years before partnering with one of his best buddies to open 2 pharmacies, something that he wishes that he would have done earlier.   A fun fact about Mehul is that despite being a vegetarian and having never tasted liquor in his life, he actually owns a Steakhouse restaurant!   This was a fantastic last episode and Mehul was able to share some amazing wisdom about why rural pharmacy is so awesome and the reasons why you should consider doing it yourself.   Disclaimer: These episodes are sponsored by Pharmasave. However, the content and opinions expressed by the owners are explicitly their own and were not influenced in any way by Pharmasave.

Episode 106: Pharmasave Miniseries - Merv and Lauri-Ell (Jasper, Alberta)

Please email your resume and cover letters to: jasperpharmasave317@gmail.com [jasperpharmasave317@gmail.com]    Joining us on the next installment of the Pharmasave Miniseries is another tandem, Merv and Lauri-Ell, owners of the Pharmasave location in Jasper.   For 28 years and counting, Merv has been a community pharmacist and business owner, and not one year has his love for it waned. Starting off strong following graduation from pharmacy school, Merv actually directly partnered with a long-standing community pharmacy in Hinton. It wasn’t until 16 years later did he open his Jasper location under the Pharmasave banner. Although the space was small and old school, the locals loved it and he was still able to provide exceptional pharmacy services.   Of course, Merv would not have been able to accomplish this without his partner Lauri-Ell. Lauri-Ell plays an integral role in making sure the day-to-day operations of the pharmacy keep moving forward smoothly, and also heads HR, so be sure to make a good impression if you’re interested in working at this location!   Speaking of location, due to COVID and the aforementioned small space, both Merv and Lauri-Ell actually made the decision recently to expand from the original location, but still bringing the best, friendly, “how can we help” customer service, for which they’ve actually been awarded a few times now from the Chamber of Commerce.   This was undoubtedly a fantastic episode, and hey, you never know, maybe you’ll find yourself working at this pharmacy and also joining Merv in his Heli Skiing that he’s been doing for 10 years now!   Disclaimer: These episodes are sponsored by Pharmasave. However, the content and opinions expressed by the owners are explicitly their own and were not influenced in any way by Pharmasave.

Episode 105: Pharmasave Miniseries - Heather Brown (Hanna, Alberta)

Please email your resume and cover letters to: pharmasave.3035.harvestsky@gmail.com [pharmasave.3035.harvestsky@gmail.com]    Continuing with our Pharmasave Miniseries, we next interview Heather Brown, another exceptional pharmacist and owner of the Hanna Pharmasave location.   Graduating with her Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1988, Heather had actually worked right out of the gates at the same pharmacy for 33 years! Then, she finally decided to open her own store, and as she puts in her own words - not because I really wanted to, but because there was a need for it in our community. Since then, her emphasis for her pharmacy location has always been towards providing learning opportunities for students and collaborating with other healthcare professionals, thus establishing a sense of belonging and togetherness when working to help care for the community. A fun fact about Heather is that not only does she sell drugs (legally), but she also sings in a band and encourages entrepreneurial spirit in the community by also carrying homemade jams and pickles in her pharmacy.   As you can tell, Heather is a fantastic individual and hopefully her wise words will motivate you to consider working in rural pharmacy as she is eager to find the right pharmacist who is willing to explore their inner entrepreneur.   Disclaimer: These episodes are sponsored by Pharmasave. However, the content and opinions expressed by the owners are explicitly their own and were not influenced in any way by Pharmasave.

Episode 104: Pharmasave Miniseries - James Kitagawa (Brooks, Alberta)

Please email your resume and cover letters to: jkitagawa345@gmail.com [jkitagawa345@gmail.com]    In the next installment of the Pharmasave Miniseries, Jared and I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Jim Kitagawa, the owner of the Brooks Pharmasave Location.   With 40 years of practice under his belt, having graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1983, Jim is no stranger to professional and career achievements, having received his PCCA compounding certification, Metagenics Lifestyle Coach certification, injection certification, and of course his APA certification. During the course of this episode, we learned a lot from Jim, particularly his approach to healthcare “Prevention Therapy”, as opposed to the conventional Western medicine perspective. Although probably not part of his lifestyle recommendations, or perhaps it is, Jim spends his free time in the lifelong pursuit of being a Karaoke King.   Disclaimer: These episodes are sponsored by Pharmasave. However, the content and opinions expressed by the owners are explicitly their own and were not influenced in any way by Pharmasave.

Episode 103: Pharmasave Miniseries - Jessica Hadfield (Valleyview, Alberta)

Please email your resume and cover letters to: jhadfield@EudaimoniaRx.ca [jhadfield@EudaimoniaRx.ca]    Keeping it rolling with our Pharmasave Miniseries, we next interview Jessica Hadfield, who is the proud owner of Pharmasave locations, with an emphasis on plural!   As an APA certified pharmacist with additional training in specialty compounding, Jessica actually owns four pharmacies in Northern Alberta, all with potential job opportunities, so pay special attention to this episode! As well, we explore more of Jessica’s interest in compounding hormone replacement therapy products, which are gaining particular traction in rural areas. When she’s not busy managing all these pharmacies, Jessica loves hiking up mountains, which are never in short supply in the province of Alberta.   Disclaimer: These episodes are sponsored by Pharmasave. However, the content and opinions expressed by the owners are explicitly their own and were not influenced in any way by Pharmasave.