Jeannine Oliver is a pharmacist and owner-operator of Kortright Pharmacy in Guelph. She also completed the PharmD bridging program in 2016.
Where they’re working:
Eighteen years ago, Jeannine Oliver decided she wanted to be a pharmacist. She began working at Kortright Pharmacy as a pharmacy assistant. Today, she is the proud owner of Kortwright.
“I didn’t come out of pharmacy school knowing I wanted to be a business owner,” Jeannine says. “But once I graduated, I went back to Kortright Pharmacy. I became a manager and did that for many years. When the opportunity arose to purchase it, that seemed like the next logical step.”
Oliver credits the team at Kortright – and in particular, former owner Bob Baxter, for inspiring her to make the jump to ownership.
“They were such a strong support network along my journey. Their philosophy of doing things – a service-based model, the lifelong relationships with patients – I knew that I wanted to continue practicing pharmacy this way.”
Reflections on the Program
“As part of the first class at the School of Pharmacy, it was exciting to dive in and do something that hadn’t been done before. The vanguard class was a unique mix, and I was excited to be a part of that energy and experience.”
If you’re going to do something, do it right, Jeannine says and that’s a philosophy she’s carried forward even through tribulations of COVID-19. She assumed ownership of Kortright Pharmacy in mid-2018. It’s a small pharmacy with just two pharmacists and three technicians/support staff. They provide patient-focused services like compliance packaging, injections, medication reviews and compounding. They collaborate with local health-care providers and often find themselves problem-solving for patients whose needs are not being met.
When COVID-19 hit, Jeannine saw a huge spike in demand for front-shop products and services and for a health-care provider who was available to answer questions. The team made physical alterations to the store layout and weathered the difficulty of a short-supplied flu season as best they could.
“I had 800 flu shot appointments booked after receiving confirmation that we would be getting those doses, but then the influenza vaccine shortages hit, and the vaccines were allocated elsewhere,” she says. “I established a process of weekly emails to my patients about where they could go for flu vaccine, and eventually we were glad to see everyone vaccinated.”
Between COVID and a frustrating flu season, it’s been a rocky road since taking over the pharmacy, but Jeannine and her team have rallied and continue to provide top-notch care.
“Our support staff do a fantastic job of keeping the train on track. I’m quite lucky to work not just with an exceptional team but also with a strong and supportive patient base.”
She’s also taken heart from the changes in pharmacy and healthcare prompted by the pandemic.
“The willingness of pharmacists to help out has been on full display throughout COVID, and I’m happy to see that getting some acknowledgement. It gives me hope for the future – that people see us excelling at all these things we’ve already been doing, and that hopefully we’ll soon have the authority to offer minor ailment services with appropriate compensation.”
Alumni Answers
UW: How did you prepare yourself for owning and running your own business?
JO: “It’s really been a learn-as-you-go situation for me. There are so many aspects of purchasing and operating a business that I hadn’t thought about – the delay between submitting claims to a third party and receiving payment can have a big impact in the first few months. But I’ve got a strong support network that I’ve been able to lean on and learn from, and it’s through experience and talking to others that I’m able to stay on top of things.”
UW: What are some of the challenges of owning your own business?
JO: “I’m a pharmacist first and the health of my patients is my priority. Sometimes it’s tempting to let that come at expense to the business. But as a business owner, I have to think about keeping the doors open, paying my staff, and balancing how I do those things while also continuing to offer quality care and services to patients. The compensation piece becomes exceptionally important as we move into discussions of expanded services.”
Non-Pharm Fun
“To be honest, work life balance has been a struggle since I bought the pharmacy. I’m very career oriented. When I first bought the store, I was here every day. Since the pandemic started, I’ve realized that I’m no good to myself, my family, or patients when I overextend myself, so I’ve challenged myself to step back and let my great team do what they do best. This has allowed me to spend time with family, kayaking down the Grand River or at the cottage on Lake Huron."