February 24, 2005

Alameda pharmacist one of few independents

PHARMACIST Ed Clark is not ready to snap a childproof cap on the future of the classic corner drugstore. He believes people value the independent pharmacist's role as an adviser who coordinates customer needs, insurance requirements and physician instructions.

"That proactive advocacy is what the corner drugstore is all about," says Clark, who owns Webster Street Pharmacy.

With the recent closing of Alameda Drug, Clark's pharmacy is the city's last corner drugstore. Versailles Pharmacy, inside Encinal Hardware's storefront, also remains open.

Clark has found many former Alameda Drug clients are willing to drive to his shop rather than transfer their prescriptions to chain drugstores.

"That's not because of me, but because they wanted the same personalized service Alameda Drug had been providing," he says. "They could have gone to one of the chains a long time ago."

Demand for pharmacists, fueled by an aging population and the growing popularity of mail-order drug outlets, is increasing. Yet, says Clark, the average age of an independent pharmacist is 60. Few graduating pharmacists are pursuing ownership, he theorizes, because of a diminishing number of role models and a lack of business and accounting classes in the modern pharmacy curriculum.

"The result is a shortage of people going into independent business even though there is a great need, a need for people to be on the front line," he says.

That front line places pharmacists in a relationship with local doctors for the patient's benefit. For example, Clark is often called on to gain a physician's acceptance of alternate medications or generics when insurance plans will not cover a particular drug.

"Occasionally, there is a medical reason the original prescription must be honored, but in many cases, physicians are willing to accommodate the patient's insurance. That requires a trusted go-between," says Clark.

He recognizes that most people come to his shop in the first place because they are not feeling well. So his time and behind-the-scenes effort pay off in customer satisfaction.

"I try to make the illness experience less stressful. It shouldn't be a hassle to get medicine," he says.

The pharmacist was raised in small towns in post-World War II America where "the corner drugstore was as common as the church."

His interest in science and chemistry led him to study pharmacy, and the neighborhood drugstore where he worked during school gave him a small scholarship for college.

After graduating, Clark came to California and started work at Alameda Drug in 1965. He purchased Webster Street Pharmacy in 1973, the same year he bought his house. He recalls Alameda was home to 15 or 16 independent drugstores at the time.

Today, the business owner surrounds himself in history. Old photographs, faded medical reference books and vintage pharmaceutical containers can be found in his shop. Clark is well-versed in the history of pharmacies and famous people, such as Ben Franklin and playwright Henrik Ibsen, who started out as apothecaries. But behind the counter, he uses the latest technology to fill and track prescriptions. Reference materials once on printed page are now found online, and Clark stays up to date by attending pharmacist conferences.

He keeps alive the image of the small-town pharmacist as a community leader. He serves on several boards and commissions, and he is the West Alameda Business Association president for the "umpteenth" time. Clark is asked to speak on health issues as in a recent meeting with the nonprofit Xanthos on the topic of childhood obesity.

"That's different from counting pills, but it's a medical issue someone wants my opinion on," he says.

Both behind the counter and in the community, Clark is doing his part to create a role model for current and future independent pharmacists.

"The corner drugstore is an iconic piece of Americana. The ones that remain provide a valuable service to the community," he says.

©Suzanne T. Storar 2005

 

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