Hilary Bald is a pharmacist and part-owner at Sinclair Pharmacy in Stratford, an independent community pharmacy.
Where they’re working:
Hilary was fifteen years old when she got her first job at Sinclair Pharmacy. Now, nearly seventeen years later, she is one of three owners of the independent pharmacy in downtown Stratford.
“I remember being a teenager and joking about how ‘one day I was going to own this place,” Hilary says. “To be honest, I never thought it would come so soon.”
Hilary’s early experiences at Sinclair helped her identify the kind of pharmacist she wanted to be. She worked there as a dispensary assistant in high school and then completed two co-op terms with them in pharmacy school.
“I tried different things with my co-ops as well – I had great experiences in hospital and with a family health team,” she says. “But my heart was in community, and specifically, in the kind of community pharmacy I saw at Sinclair’s.”
The pharmacy is a Stratford institution. Opened 61 years ago by John Sinclair, Sinclair Pharmacy prides itself on superior customer service. Though not a physically large space, they employ many staff – over 55 between Sinclair’s and the Tavistock Pharmacy run by the same team. Shifts are continually well-staffed to ensure that patients are served quickly, and phones are answered promptly. The pharmacy – which averages 300 scripts a day – offers level A compounding, free delivery and influenza vaccination as well.
“I think I always had it in my mind that one day I hoped to be owner,” she says. “I made it known to my coworkers, and one day in 2017, the two owners Theresa Ryan and Heather Konstant, asked me out to lunch. I expected to be asked to fill a designated manager role, but instead I was offered an opportunity at ownership.”
Hilary jumped at the chance, and though it came with a learning curve, she collaborated well with her fellow owners and Sinclair’s has thrived.
“I definitely learned a lot as I went,” she says. “All three of us have different levels of experience and perspectives. I brought new information as a more recent grad, and I’ve learned so much from the others’ points of view.”
Just a few years after Hilary moved into an owner role, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The team weathered the challenges, splitting their staff into three groups. To minimize risk of COVID transmission, those groups worked the store in discrete shifts that didn’t overlap.
“Maintaining motivation of staff was challenging,” she says. “We were sure to offer accommodations, not pressuring our team to work, and being thankful for everyone who supported us throughout. So many members of the community reached out as we stayed open through essential business closures. Local restaurants sent meals, and we as owners organized small tokens of appreciation for staff.”
Alumni Answers
UW: Sinclair Pharmacy is an independent pharmacy. How has that impacted your experiences?
HB: I’ve really enjoyed the flexibility and autonomy of independent pharmacy ownership. We don’t have a corporate group telling us to achieve certain deliverables within a day. Decisions that are made for our team and community are informed by people right here, not in a remote office. That freedom to do what we want to do is empowering.
UW: What advice do you have for alumni considering the jump to ownership?
HB: Do some background education or complete programs on the human resources side of things. For myself, that was the biggest hurdle – dealing with employees, managing conflict, concerns and questions, delivering bad news. Joining a team of seasoned owners, it was this employee management area where I had the most to learn.
Non-Pharm Fun
“There’s been less down-time since I shifted into an owner role, but I do try to make time to relax, hanging out with my family and friends (now that can we do so safely again!), watching TV and spending time with my husband and three-year-old daughter.”