What chain pharmacy does well
I want to be honest about both sides. Chain pharmacy has real strengths. Long hours. Locations everywhere. Technology infrastructure that processes claims fast. A wide medication inventory. Standardized training. For a patient who needs a prescription filled at 2 am on a Sunday, the 24 hour CVS I ran was one of the only options in much of central Mississippi. That mattered. I am proud of the work my team did during those years.
What I could not do at CVS
The pressures of the operating model made several things harder, no matter how much the pharmacists wanted to do them differently.
I could not give patients enough time
When you are filling hundreds of prescriptions a day with limited staffing, the 90 seconds you have per patient at the counter is not enough to do the clinical work the training prepared you for. The patient with the new diabetes medication who needed 20 minutes of injection technique training got 3 minutes. The older adult on 12 medications who needed a full review got a quick pass. The young mother whose toddler had been on antibiotics three times in 6 months and was asking whether something was off got a smile and a wave because the line behind her was 8 people deep.
I could not say no to the volume
Corporate metrics rewarded speed and volume. Pharmacists who slowed down to do the clinical work were rewarded less than pharmacists who pushed prescriptions through faster, even when slowing down was clearly the right thing for patients.
I could not build relationships
The patient turnover, the pharmacist turnover, and the schedule made continuity hard. The patient who came in twice a week for a year and was being seen by 5 different pharmacists over that year did not have anyone who knew their story. Their record had the same information, but the relationship that comes from continuity was missing.
I could not pay my team what they were worth
Corporate compensation structures put limits on what pharmacists and technicians could earn. The best people left to go work in environments where their skill was valued and rewarded. The ones who stayed often burned out within a few years.
What I took with me when I left
Several lessons shaped what Fairview became under my ownership starting in 2016.
- Time per patient is the most important variable in pharmacy quality.
- Continuity matters as much as the clinical work itself.
- Staffing decisions determine outcomes more than any other operational choice.
- Adherence to professional standards is easier when the operating model supports it.
- Patients can tell the difference. They always can.
What I built at Fairview
I made specific decisions about Fairview that I could not have made running a chain location.
- We answer the phone. Hold times are short.
- Pharmacists have time for counseling on every new medication.
- Free medication reviews for anyone who wants one. No appointment required.
- Vaccinations on walk in basis.
- Local delivery and statewide shipping.
- Med sync for patients on multiple medications.
- Same pharmacist serving the same patients over years.
- Pay for technicians and pharmacists that recognizes the work.
- Investment in the relationship side of pharmacy that PBM reimbursement does not pay for.
Why this matters to Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg residents who choose Fairview are choosing the version of pharmacy I could not provide at CVS. That choice keeps Fairview operating. It funds the staffing that makes the model possible. It supports the model that lets us serve patients across Mississippi who have lost their local pharmacy. Every transfer is part of how this works. Every prescription filled here is a vote for a kind of pharmacy that is harder to find than it should be in 2026.
What I learned about leadership
Running a 24 hour pharmacy team taught me what good operations look like, what burnout looks like, and what it takes to keep people working in a high pressure environment. I use those lessons every day at Fairview. The technicians and pharmacists who work here know that their time is respected, their professional judgment is supported, and their work matters. That shows up in how they treat patients. Patients can tell.
When to talk to a pharmacist
- You feel rushed at your current pharmacy.
- You want to be known by the people filling your prescriptions.
- You are tired of holds that do not pick up.
- You want a pharmacy run by someone who built it deliberately.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Before starting or changing any medication, including over the counter products and supplements, talk with your pharmacist or physician about your specific situation.