How do you relate? Agree or Disagree? Why?

I was fortunate enough to have taken a job in May of 2019 with an independent pharmacy as the business advisor after coming off of the successful Florida National Senate campaign in 2018. It was a considerable career pivot but I was able to learn some basics before COVID hit in early January 2020. I think that my inexperience was an advantage because I frankly did not know the day to day business. I was more of an uninitiated observer as a business advisor and then I transitioned into full time management of the business. I never knew what to expect because I was still learning and with COVID, no one could anticipate what was going to happen next!! The New (Ab)Normal mentions the "Perils of False Confidence". Thinking that businesses would just keep going, survive mandatory shut downs (pharmacy was listed as ESSENTIAL in Florida) or that people wouldn't get sick are all examples of false confidence. Many people took precautions to prevent COVID but many did not feel that they would be affected because of their age group, general good health, lack of underlying conditions, etc. One recommended item to help prevent COVID was hand sanitizer. Much like toilet paper, it experienced periods of extreme shortage or stock out. Working for this particular pharmacy proved to be fortuitous. The owner and pharmacist ran a large compounding area where specialty drugs could be made from the inventory of chemicals that he had on hand. This proved to be a huge advantage because the State of Florida issued permission for pharmacists to aide in the national shortages by making this product in house. The New (Ab)Normal touches on PPE and medical equipment, but there were many more critical supplies that took creative sourcing to acquire. For staff to work safely in the compounding area, I used automotive paint supply stores to provide N95 masks. This was an outlying supplier that many people had not considered. I was able to order boxes of masks early on and kept a supply on hand which we did not resell to the public.

Chemicals and secondary ingredients for making drugs also had shortages. The Pharmacy used existing chemical inventory but it was quickly consumed and then raw materials became difficult to find, notably 99% isopropyl alcohol and thickening agents, the best being Hydroxypropyl Cellulose. There are several grades and types of isopropyl alcohol and the ChemPoint summary illustrates the different thickening agents available. I brought in my KitchenAide stand mixer and many late nights were spent working thrSugh formulas with alcohol, thickening agents, aloe, fragrance, etc. to get just the right combination. Pouring a viscous substance into a small mouthed bottle became a forte' as well as making our own custom printed labels for The Pharmacy.

Because The Pharmacy has more flexibilty built into its business model, the make inhouse option on many products not only help survive COVID but helped us be profitable and build a better business while acquiring more customers.