There are a million reasons not to do something. We think of the time commitment, financial investment, the potential discomfort, and — most powerfully — the fear of failure. It's self-doubt that can deter some from taking that great leap, even if it’s something they want to do.
In his nearly 25 years of pharmacy work, Jay Phipps has learned that fear is not something to run away from — it’s simply a pit stop on the road to excellence.
“Every day you try to conquer the colosseum in your communities,” says the Pharmacy Gladiator .
Read on to learn about Jay’s journey, how he’s helping other pharmacists realize their best selves, and how to be comfortable with discomfort.
Jay’s pharmacy journey begins like many others. Knowing he wanted a career in healthcare, he worked at a hospital pharmacy as a pharmacy “assistant” (he says “assistant” with air quotes), akin to a technician position.
After he got his Bachelor of Science at Carson-Newman University, he pursued his PharmD degree at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Always one to have an entrepreneurial spirit, he opened Phipps Pharmacy in June 2000, remaining an independent pharmacist ever since.
"I’ve been an employee of my own ever since I left pharmacy school,” he says. “It’s perfect how that worked.”
The process to open a pharmacy is a daunting one, full of logistical hoops to jump through. However, Jay knows the road to independence paves the way to better health for the Jackson, Tennessee, community.
From day one, Phipps Pharmacy has been at the forefront of quality and modern patient care. Knowing that patient needs evolve over time, Jay and his pharmacy staff keep their ear to the ground to ensure they’re properly caring for their community, a vital element to effective pharmacy leadership.
When you walk through the doors of a Phipps Pharmacy location (there are four to choose from), you can expect to receive a comprehensive wave of patient services. The pharmacy cares for its patients by way of easy prescription refills, immunizations, tailor-made compound prescriptions, B-12 injections, and — last but not least — their compliance packaging packs, dubbed the Phipps Pack.
Med sync is also a point of focus at Phipps, allowing its staff to provide full and uninterrupted care for its patients.
“Med sync allows us to do things that we were trained for,” he says. “We're somewhere between 52% and 82% of our patients being signed up for med sync between our four stores.”
Med sync enhances the convenience factor for patients, letting them pick up all their prescriptions in one trip. It also ensures the pharmacy is giving the patient all the medications they need. At this point, med sync is no longer a novelty — it’s Pharmacy 101.
In this day and age, being a pharmacist is more than verifying prescriptions or putting pills in a vial — it’s creating a path to better health for your community. That's why Jay took the route to independent pharmacy ownership: to put his unique stamp on patient care.
“Being a Pharmacy Gladiator is about overcoming the fear to move the profession forward.”
He continues, “We battle for our patients every day. We fight for the profession every day. So we are challenged. We are in situations with PBMs and constraints outside of our control which can prevent us from properly caring for our patients. Being a Pharmacy Gladiator means to be in that coliseum and conquer the challenges that stand in the way to better health.”
For Jay, a Pharmacy Gladiator answers the call without exception. Apart from his pharmacy practice, he has taken the Pharmacy Gladiator mentality outside the pharmacy, being a renowned public speaker on pharmacy leadership, helping fellow pharmacists realize their inner warrior.
"The more I get to talk to people and work on how to overcome that fear and how to become a better businessperson, husband, wife, spouse, father, child, or person in general, the more fulfilling the work becomes.”
Through thick and thin, it’s the pharmacist who should remain the cornerstone of patient care and innovation. With outside forces like third parties and PBMs, the road ahead for pharmacists might be a bit blurry. But Jay only knows one way: forward.
“We have to remain relentless to pursue excellence day in and day out. I really do think that we will come out of this very challenging time stronger, and the profession of pharmacy will be better for it.”
For more information on the current state of PBMs, read our blog, “The State of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) [2024 Report],” and subscribe to our NextWave Pharmacy Newsletter for the latest industry news.
From the beginning of his pharmacy journey, Jay Phipps has colored himself an academic. Given his drive to offer the best and most relevant clinical services, it’s clear that he is eager to learn and embrace the new.
That go-getter mentality pushed him to pursue further education, this time in the leadership world.
Earlier this year, he received his MBA in Strategy and Leadership from Indiana University – Kelly School of Business.
“I'm extremely curious and the MBA was about being curious and trying to learn. There are more things about business that I don't know than I do know.”
While we see the end result, the road to get there, Jay says, was full of second guesses and self-imposed roadblocks. However, pressure makes diamonds, revealing the best and most capable version of ourselves. We just need to act.
“Fear can be overwhelming, to the point where we might freeze up and not pursue the things we want to do,” he says. "But it’s working through that fear that helps us improve and better provide for our patients. It makes us better healthcare workers and people in general.”
Looking ahead, Jay Phipps sees a bright future for the industry, so long as we fight for it.
"Our purpose as pharmacists should be to passionately and relentlessly pursue excellence in patient care,” he says. “That's our mission at Phipps Pharmacy. And I think that something similar would be the same for all pharmacists.”
From PBM reform to pharmacists finally receiving provider status, the road ahead can be a rocky one. However, if Jay has proven anything, it’s that fear is nothing to avoid or deter you from doing what’s best for you or your community: fear is the call to greatness.
