Dr. Michael Kim, the new
owner of
Grubbs Care Pharmacy & Medical Equipment, the perennial
neighborhood drugstore on Capitol Hill, started his path to ownership
while still a student at Howard University's School of Pharmacy.
"In hindsight I was lucky," he said. "In 1997, it was my
counselor who connected me with Grubbs to complete a mandatory retail
externship," he explained.
Before
starting pharmacy school, Kim had worked for People's Drugs (which CVS
later bought). However, Kim was elated to complete his externship
at a smaller, neighborhood pharmacy where he expected to gain more real
life experiences. “During the externship I filled prescriptions,
compounded medications for pets, solved real life medication problems,
and talked to patients, doctors and nurses. Working at a
neighborhood pharmacy was a great experience and the one that I had
expected," he recalled.
After
graduating from Howard in 1998, Kim began working for Grubbs. "I
had worked for Giant Pharmacy while in pharmacy school, but from the
externship I knew I wanted a career working for a neighborhood pharmacy
because the quality of care neighborhood pharmacists are allowed to
provide patients can be so much better than at pharmacies owned by
corporations. I also knew from the externship experience that I
would be better able to apply what I had learned in school at a
neighborhood pharmacy,” he continued.
After
working at Grubbs for five years, various corporations began
approaching Kim about working for them. "One corporation offered
me a great salary and great benefits so I had to start thinking about
the health of my career," he said. Before drastically changing
his work life, Kim offered former Grubbs co-owner Ed Dillon a
prescription for his career ills. "I spoke to him about my
options and possible incentives to stay at Grubbs. Soon, we
started talking about ownership possibilities," he recalled.
Kim
became
a partner in the company in 2003, three years after talking with Dillon
about ownership possibilities. Then on February 1, 2006,
co-owners Dillon and Jeanette Partilla retired and Kim became the sole
owner. "The transition was a good one. It was slow and
seamless because we took our time to make sure that the deal would work
for both sides,” he continued.
The
Laurel, Maryland native has not made nor does he plan to make any
drastic changes to the successful neighborhood pharmacy housed in a
frame row house at the corner of 4th and East Capitol Streets,
NE. The pharmacy still provides prescription home delivery and
sale home medical equipment. "I may paint the outside and remodel
a little inside," he said.
And
for
the externship program Grubbs has with Howard University, he will keep
that, too. "I also keep in contact with several professors at
Howard and give guest lectures to the pharmacy students a few times a
year. I really enjoy teaching the students what I have
learned. I plan to keep a close relationship with Howard because
Howard has been very good to me," he smiled.
|
Dr.
Michael Kim with
members of his staff
Grubbs Pharmacy
4th and East Capitol Streets
Washington, D.C. USA 20003
Tel 202-543-4400
Fax 202-543-6276
Monday
- Friday 8:30a - 6p
Saturday 9a - 3p
|
