Pharmacy Survives Years of Being Pushed Out…
How Did They Do It?
September 2021
Kelly Brennan
The jingle of the bell on the front door makes you feel at home when you’re greeted by the smell of chocolates from the candy counter. Welcomed by a layout of jewelry, candles, gifts, and clothes, you can’t help but to get a warm and fuzzy feeling being in the store. West Milford Pharmacy, located in a small town in northern New Jersey, has held its own against three other big-name competitors and has stuck around for decades staying true to its small-town charm.
The pharmacy has been in the town since the 1950’s, continuing to be an integral part of the community by servicing the town with friendly service and a warm environment. The business was started “to serve the community. Back in the day, they didn’t have any chain pharmacies when they first started. It was mostly pharmacies run by mom and pop stores,” said the current owner Piyush Patel.
The store continues to serve the people years later by continuing to provide all pharmaceutical needs including Covid testing and vaccines, all other vaccines, as well as a gift shop and candy store for the town. Patel said, “We want to achieve [the customer’s] satisfaction. We work very hard to do that. We want to make sure our customers are happy and make sure that the kind of service they’re getting [is good]. Our staff is very friendly, and they know what they’re doing. They’re very knowledgeable.”
The West Milford Pharmacy is challenged constantly by the other competitors in town of Walgreens, RiteAid, and Shoprite, yet they have a steady flow of customers coming in for pharmaceutical needs and gift shopping. So how has West Milford Pharmacy stayed in business for so many decades? Debbie Van Brunt, along with many other citizens, said that she believes the pharmacy has stayed in business so long because “they can offer the personalized service that a chain store generally can't.” Bryna Messmer added, “They care! That's their secret weapon. It keeps them in business.”
Multiple citizens of the town described the store as warm, comfortable, friendly, inviting, welcoming, and family oriented. “They have been in West Milford for a long time and with all the options of other locations, and insurance companies forcing you away from Mom & Pop shops, it's important to keep such a gem in its place. I would hate to see it go,” said Messmer.
Patel also attributes the long success of the pharmacy to customer care. “In the long run, the thing that’s going to help the business most is care. Nothing is going to work as much as showing care for people,” said Patel. “It’s important for a local business to have great customer service, offer a variety of products and services, and employ local, friendly staff to have me keep coming back,” said shopper Karen Leptuck-Gabel, of West Milford, N.J.
Although the pharmacy has been a standing part of the community for multiple generations, big-name competitors are pushing independent pharmacies out of small towns. The Pulse explains that with the introduction of PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) reimbursement issues are playing a major role in the problem of how independent pharmacies are being pushed out.
According to Business Insider, “For Amoxicillin, CVS pharmacies were reimbursed $35.92 while mom-and-pop pharmacies were reimbursed $12.21. For [...] Ibuprofen, CVS pharmacies were reimbursed $5.86 while mom-and-pop pharmacies were reimbursed $1.39.” These PBMs are squeezing many mom-and-pop stores like West Milford Pharmacy out of business.
Going forward, Patel plans to keep the business thriving by keeping the gift shop relevant, changing the layout to keep things fresh and interesting, and keeping the same friendly and knowledgeable staff to keep the townspeople coming back. As you leave, you can hear the women behind the candy counter cheerfully saying “Have a great day!” and you know that you will be back to this wonderful place.
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