From Consultant to Owner: Dr. Sabrina Russ's Journey Through the Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership P...

Introduction


In this inspiring episode of Script Your Future, we interview Dr. Sabrina Russ, a dedicated participant in NCPA Foundation's Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program (http://www.pathwaystopharmacyownershi...) . With over 25 years of pharmacy experience, Dr. Russ shares her evolution from chain pharmacy work to independent consulting, and now to opening her own collaborative pharmacy practice in Columbia, South Carolina. Her story demonstrates the power of persistence, mentorship, and community support in overcoming the challenges of pharmacy ownership. From navigating skeptical bankers to finding the right contractors, Dr. Russ offers candid insights into the realities of becoming an independent pharmacy owner in today's challenging healthcare landscape.


Interview


Sonja Pagniano: Hi, this is Sonja Pagniano with the Script Your Future podcast. I'm so excited today to be joined by Dr. Sabrina Russ. Dr. Sabrina Russ is part of the NCPA Foundation Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program (http://www.pathwaystopharmacyownershi...) . The Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program is a free year-long application-based program supporting and encouraging independent pharmacy ownership among individuals who historically have not had equal opportunity to attain pharmacy ownership. These participants gain access to pharmacy owner mentors, webinars, and self-directed activities focused on essential business principles as they relate to pharmacy ownership. We are so excited to have you here today, Dr. Russ. Where are you calling in from?


Dr. Sabrina Russ: Hi, it's a pleasure to be here. I am calling from Columbia, South Carolina.


Sonja: And how is it down there right now? I know we're in the middle of July. So very hot.


Dr. Russ: Yes. Thank you.


Sonja: Have you always lived in that area? What initially drew you to pharmacy and being where you are now?


Dr. Russ: Yeah. So actually, my dad was military. So originally from North Carolina, still have a lot of family there. I was born at the military base. There's Fort Bragg, but I've got a lot of family that still live in that Raleigh area. So being military, we traveled all over the world. But my dad got stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina as a drill sergeant back in the mid 80s. So I've been here in South Carolina ever since then. So this has been home for over 30 plus years.


So my journey really started because just growing up as a child, I really was very fascinated about how I can keep my family healthy naturally without medication. I didn't think about the connection of medication at that time, but I always wanted to see how I can keep my family healthy. And then also learning about how I can use, how we use food as medicine. I was fascinated about that aspect of it.


And so… but then didn't really think much of that part of it. Just went on and said, okay, going to pharmacy school, I was like, well, I like the science behind it, being able to help people. I know that sounds really cliche, you know, how you get into it, but you know, being out of school over 25 years, just letting pharmacists or newer pharmacists coming out know that your career will actually, it will change. It will evolve.


You know, being in my own practice as a solo practitioner, as a consultant, which started like in the early 2000s, I just wanted to figure out ways that I could just work with people one-on-one, how to teach them about medication safety. And I was seeing that a lot when I worked in the chains, grocery store chain at the time when I first got out of pharmacy school. And so I felt like I really want to be able to help people and talk with them more one-on-one without feeling rushed. Because sometimes in a retail setting, I mean, it's so busy now, busier now than it was back then. But I was like, maybe I can figure out a way to work with people one-on-one.


So I connected with my state pharmacy association (https://scrx.org/) and they connected me with another pharmacist who was doing, he had an independent pharmacy, but he was also doing consulting. OK, in addition. So he became my mentor and he took me under his wings and he was a geriatric pharmacist. So he's like, you know, I really think you should consider getting some additional certification, becoming board certified in geriatrics. So I did that. And then I just started this meeting with family and friends about medication concerns they had and it just started from there meeting more people interacting with providers and things like that who will want me to sit down and go through their medications because they just didn't have time this is like we're talking like what 2007, 2008 at this point and then I finally collaborated with the family practice office that I'm with now and about 17 years now. And so we've really had that collaboration. But yeah, so it just really evolved over time.


And I even started before I even got into pharmacy school, just going back to my journey, I started...