At an early age, Joe Smith, R.Ph., decided that he wanted to pursue a career as a pharmacist. Born in Auburn, Neb., Smith grew up about 35 miles from Lincoln, in Weeping Water, and, at age 10, began working as a “soda jerk” at a pharmacy owned by the Wallick family. Some of his summers also were spent working at Broadway Drug in Boise, Idaho, which was owned by his uncle, Lon Davis.
 |
Joe Smith |
“Lon was a big influence, because he was a favorite uncle,” Smith said. “He let me experiment and learn and kept an eye on me so I didn’t make any major goofs.
“I worked with some people who helped me set my goals for a lifetime practice in pharmacy. Watching the respect the pharmacist was shown and the interaction with the other folks in town was very much a positive influence on my decision.”
As a result of those early influences, Smith made the decision to attend the University of Nebraska College of Pharmacy, where one of his classmates was Bob Kerrey, who later served one term as governor of Nebraska and was a two-term U.S. Senator. Smith admits he struggled with “a course or two that might have changed my destiny,” but he graduated in 1965.
Smith, who has lived in Fairfax County, Va., since 1969, has come a long way since serving sodas, sweeping pharmacy floors and struggling through a few classes. He owns The Medicine Shoppe franchise in Falls Church, Va., is current president of the National Community Pharmacists Association, was past president of the Virginia Pharmacists Association and the Potomac Pharmacists Association, and is a clinical instructor for the Medical College of Virginia’s College of Pharmacy clerkship program.
For all his career accomplishments, Smith has been selected as the recipient of the 2003 College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumnus Award, which is presented annually by the College of Pharmacy Alumni Association.
“It’s quite an honor to have been selected from a large number of very well-known and productive alumni,” Smith said. “So I’m very pleased with the recognition.”
“Joe has been a leader in pharmacy at all levels, as exemplified by his current role of president of the National Community Pharmacists Association,” said Clarence Ueda, Pharm.D., Ph.D., dean of the UNMC College of Pharmacy. “His selection as this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award is richly deserved.
“Joe is the type of pharmacist that I wish all of our students who are interested in community pharmacy would model themselves after. He is a role model independent community pharmacist.”
“I learned many of life’s lessons during my time at the College of Pharmacy,” Smith said. “Certainly, the university is located in a state with a known good work ethic, and we had good role models for professors, who followed through and helped us to learn. We also were expected to be members of student organizations and to be proactive, even back then, and I think that’s all carried over to my adult life.”
One pharmacist who stood out above the rest during his time in school, according to Smith, was M.C. “Doc” Mayo, who worked at University Place.
“‘Doc’ was a very strong, independent, well-known and well-liked person in this community. He had a good rapport with his patients, and he and his wife took me in like a second son, or a first son for them, I guess. They gave me a lot of experience and guidance, and I respect them very much.”
During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, Smith enlisted in the Reserve Officers Training Corps because “I knew I wanted to be a leader, not a follower.” After graduation, Smith, who had attained the rank of lieutenant, was stationed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi and served four years as administrator of a 30-bed base hospital.
“My experience there was very exciting,” Smith said, “because it allowed me to learn about the interdisciplinary approach to health care — working with doctors and supply side folks, food suppliers, nurses, physical therapists and dentists. I had a really great experience there.”
Following his discharge from the Air Force in 1969, Smith was encouraged by his sister to move near her in the Washington, D.C., area.
“Owning my own store was a goal of mine from the time I started college.”
Having worked for two chains that went bankrupt, Smith decided that he could do things better on his own. “I had looked at several stores that had little chance of turn-around due either to neglect or the neighborhood they were in or they were priced beyond my means.”
But a radical new concept was just getting off the ground that sounded interesting — an apothecary-style franchise operation for independent pharmacists. “The Medicine Shoppe allowed me to open a store from scratch within a budget I could afford, and with a bit of sweat equity, to build a business.”
Smith opened his pharmacy in Falls Church, across the Potomac River about 10 miles from the nation’s capital.
“We’re a small town of 10,000 within a larger community of the D.C. area,” Smith said. “There’s a strong sense of community in Falls Church, so there’s a lot of loyal people who trade locally and support their locally owned businesses. The very first customer who walked through my door 21 years ago still trades with me today.”
Smith is active in his community and has been interviewed for many news and feature stories on pharmacy issues by the national media, including CNN, USA Today, and Drug Topics. He has received the Bowl of Hygeia Award and the Syntex Preceptor of the Year Award from the state of Virginia.
But Smith says his biggest achievement in life has been “interacting with people. My patients have been good to me. My friends and family have supported me. It’s people that are important.”
(Michael F. Conlon contributed to this story)