Creating the ultimate pharmacy on a leap of faith

Barbara Violo was successful in her job managing a corporate pharmacy, but she still felt something was missing. What she really wanted was a practice where she could choose her own staff, spend more time with patients and focus on preventative health. So, she took a leap of faith and left her full-time job to open a pharmacy—even though she was a single mother at the time, with two small children. When she found the perfect spot to open her own pharmacy, she recalls the landlords saying they didn’t think she could handle it. But her persistence paid off and three years later, Violo’s Junction Chemist in Toronto’s west end has become a healthcare beacon of the community, and she its trusted healthcare provider. Along the way, Violo’s passion for expanded pharmacy scope of practice has earned her national media attention and a steady stream of customers eager to find out what all the fuss is about. For this pharmacy owner, the answer is simple: do all that your education has trained you for, and don’t be afraid to embrace change along the way. As a new owner, how did you distinguish yourself and your pharmacy in such a competitive city? Initially my focus was on pediatrics and new mothers because I found I struggled a lot as a new mom myself. As well as carrying a lot of the items that the pediatricians and naturopaths in the area were recommending, I was reaching out to specialists to come in for lactation consulting and we were advising new mothers on how to take good care of their own health. I’m very well known in the community for being good with children and many parents come here for their children’s vaccines. Now my main focus is mental health and addiction. I dispense methadone and deal with all types of mental health concerns. I find that during COVID-19 especially, a lot of people have been struggling and may be resistant to starting medication. I do a lot counselling when it comes to starting new depression or anxiety medications or adjusting supplements. I stay on top of the literature via continuing education lessons and have a good relationship with a pediatric psychiatrist and others in the area who I consult with and refer patients to as needed. This neighbourhood is big on naturopathic and homeopathic medicine, so I have reached out and formed relationships with the naturopaths in the area, too. Tell us about the kinds of product you carry. I have a lot of nutraceutical-grade supplements and homeopathic products you wouldn’t find in a typical pharmacy. I also started carrying protein powders and snacks such as protein bars instead of chocolate bars or chips. Most of my products come from Canadian manufacturers. You’ve had a lot of media attention as an early adopter of COVID-19 testing in pharmacies. How was that experience? I was one of only six pharmacies in Toronto to volunteer to do it. Many of my colleagues were making me feel terrible for jumping onboard for testing, but I’m very service-orientated and I believe pharmacists have the education and should be doing this. This led to a lot of media calling for interviews. Then when vaccines became available, I vaccinated Ontario’s Health Minister which brought the media back. The first time I was on air I was extremely nervous, but had such a rush afterwards. Now I have no fear because it’s just me being my authentic self, talking about the things I know. I never say no to an opportunity to speak about the profession. The media attention has also been good for getting new customers into the store—it has somehow made me ‘legit’ to those people who never considered independent pharmacies on par with the corporates. It’s been very good marketing for me. How big is your staff? I have a full-time pharmacist and assistant working with me, plus several pharmacy students who will go to part-time when the school year resumes. Having a strong team is super important and I was very choosy with mine. I worked alone here for two years until I started hiring staff, using relief pharmacists to take the occasional shift. But, now I’m really happy with the staff and customers feel the good energy between us when they come in. Now that the buzz around COVID-19 vaccinations is slowing down, what’s next? We’re just in the midst of launching an online store for our pharmacy products. With the pandemic, more and more people have turned to online shopping, so I knew it was an area I wanted to get into. We have also been ramping up on providing COVID-19 travel tests. Eventually, I’d like to open a second pharmacy, probably with a central-fill type concept because I think mail-order prescriptions are the future. That would be beneficial in securing contracts with larger nursing care homes, etc. Or perhaps I will end up opening another pharmacy like this one. Expanding is definitely in the plan. How have you managed to create a small-town pharmacy feel in a large city? I know my patients and their children by name. I have people who will call me after hours to grab something and I’ll go in and get it for them. We offer free prescription pickup and delivery, along with home visits for medication reviews if needed. I try and make a difference in the lives of my patients within my scope of practice, but I’d love to be able to do even more. I’m really excited about minor ailments and will be doing that as soon it’s available to pharmacists in Ontario. I think a lot of pharmacy owners get stuck and don’t want to change the way they practise, but I’m an early adopter and I always embrace change. As healthcare professionals I think we’re really underutilized. I don’t think any providers see their patients more than pharmacists do. Is your business profitable at this point? Yes. I’m doing about 1,200 hard scripts a month, which is low, but with professional services that’s up to 3,000. I figure that’s pretty good given that I walked into this space with zero patients and no affiliations with doctors. Now they refer patients to me regularly. Plus, I don’t believe in discounting fees as some of my competitors do. I think it discounts our profession as a whole. I’ve collaborated with the independent pharmacies around me to determine a price point for services and most of us stick to it. But honestly, far beyond the value of money is creating a work life where I have personal satisfaction in knowing that I’m making a difference. I also have a big interest in mentoring other women entrepreneurs in pharmacy and elsewhere because I do think there are unique challenges between the sexes. I want to help women who feel stuck take that leap of faith that I did. Who were your mentors? My mom is a business woman who came to this country as an immigrant, so she is a big inspiration. She always said to me ‘fear never breeds success’ and I often share that with other women. Another inspiration is Vu Tran Nguyen who was a senior director from my corporate life. He has always encouraged me. How do you find work/life balance? Opening my business close to home has helped. When I had the occasional time off in the early years, I would schedule something really fun with my kids. But you have to be prepared to do the hard work initially. I spent two years barely taking a holiday, but now I have a solid staff and can take the time when needed.

Creating the ultimate pharmacy on a leap of faith

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