On a current Friday night, Shahida Choudhry, Pharm.D., threw a celebration, full with goodie luggage and free ice cream (supplied by the Ice Dreammm Store in Wesley Chapel), to rejoice the 9 years since she first opened (in 2016) Palms Pharmacy in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms.
The annual occasion is a approach for Dr. Choudhry and her workers to mark the affect they’ve on Tampa Palms, New Tampa and the encircling areas (together with Wesley Chapel) by providing a substitute for large field shops and company chains.
“If you stroll by way of the door, we greet you,” Dr. Choudhry says. “If you name the pharmacy, somebody picks up the telephone.”
Grace Dimalanta adopted her to Palms Pharmacy from an area Publix, the place Dr. Choudhry had beforehand served because the pharmacist for ten years.
“Everyone seems to be so personable and pleasant at Palms Pharmacy,” Grace says. “It’s a unique really feel than wherever else. They’re like household. Once I go away, they’re calling out, ‘Bye, Grace, goodbye! Have a great day!’”
From its rather more humble beginnings, the workers — and the quantity of area it occupies within the plaza — has grown to a complete of 16 folks, together with 4 pharmacists, three interns, plus six others who work in roles reminiscent of pharmacy technicians and help workers. They’re all dedicated to offering a private expertise and actually care about their sufferers, with that bar being set excessive by Dr. Choudhry herself.
“I’ve been her buyer for a very long time,” Grace says. “She is aware of me so properly. She’s even referred to as my physician to say a drugs that I used to be prescribed wasn’t good for me.”
The big workers stays busy delivery orders all through the entire state of Florida, providing subsequent day supply on prescriptions, compounded medicines, specialty merchandise and dietary supplements.
The pharmacy’s cabinets are stocked with over-the-counter medicines and high-quality dietary supplements, together with non-public label dietary supplements made particularly for Palms Pharmacy.
Dr. Choudhry says {that a} well-liked complement, particularly amongst these with ADHD, is a magnesium mix referred to as Palms NeuroFocus. Different Palms Pharmacy dietary supplements embrace a every day multi-vitamin and iron.
And, she says, a brand new non-public label is coming quickly, referred to as Thrive Plus by Palms Pharmacy.
“I’ve transformed a lot of my favourite dietary supplements to gummies,” Dr. Choudhry says. “We need to present top-quality merchandise to be value efficient so folks can afford them.”
She provides that she has discovered that she will be able to produce some dietary supplements domestically to scale back the price for her clients.
This contains magnesium glycinate to assist with sleep and nighttime carb cravings, a probiotic gummy, a creatine gummy, a greens gummy and NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) capsules, that are often known as the “fountain of youth” and assist with power and visual indicators of growing old.
“These [Thrive Plus] dietary supplements needed to undergo FDA (U.S. Meals & Drug Administration) clearance and are being produced in a facility in Tampa,” Dr. Choudhry explains. “They are going to be on our cabinets by the tip of June.”
The most effective half about buying dietary supplements from Palms Pharmacy is gaining access to specialists who can clarify them and provide help to get the most effective merchandise for you. Whether or not you come within the retailer and discuss with the pharmacist, or name and converse with somebody on the telephone, they’re at all times pleased to reply all your questions.
Dietary supplements additionally may be bought on-line at Store.ThePalmsPharmacy.com.
Along with nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements, Palms Pharmacy carries quite a lot of distinctive reward gadgets, skincare merchandise, and sweets and snacks.
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“Korean skincare at the moment is our greatest factor,” Dr. Choudhry says, including that, not like another shops, “All the things now we have is beneath $15, together with rice oil, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin D and retinoids.”
Common clients like Grace at all times get pleasure from coming into the shop to see what’s new.
“There’s a lot distinctive stuff,” Grace says, “like little soaps. I additionally purchase dietary supplements like vitamin D and calcium tablets.”
Grace says she doesn’t know something concerning the high quality of dietary supplements, however her daughter-in-law, who does, identified that the model she purchased from Palms Pharmacy is an effective one which doesn’t use fillers like numerous corporations do.
“That makes me really feel nice as a result of I do know the shop is stocked with stuff that’s good for you,” Grace says.
She additionally appreciates that she will be able to get vaccines at Palms Pharmacy, such because the flu shot.
“I simply make an appointment and it’s a pleasant expertise,” Grace says. “I’m at all times pleased to go there.”
And, Dr. Choudhry says, if you store at Palms Pharmacy, you’re supporting a small enterprise the place the cash you spend really stays in the local people. “We respect it if you help your native folks and your cash goes into the native financial system,” Dr. Choudhry says. “Whereas different pharmacies are bought to personal fairness corporations or are closing places, we’re right here to assist and provides again.”
Along with caring for the shop’s clients, the workers schedules team-building occasions each quarter, and sometimes pair their days along with alternatives to serve the group, reminiscent of a current seashore cleanup.
Dr. Choudhry, who earned each her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Pharmacy and Physician of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) levels from Lengthy Island College in Brooklyn, NY, was not too long ago named the 2024 Unbiased Pharmacist of the Yr by Pharmacist Mothers, a nationwide skilled group of greater than 35,000 ladies pharmacists.
Palms Pharmacy additionally has been nominated for the 2025 Well being Mart Pharmacy of the Yr. There are greater than 5,000 unbiased and domestically owned neighborhood pharmacies allied collectively beneath the Well being Mart banner. To win the award, which will probably be introduced in June, the pharmacy has to have best-in-class medical practices, be a group chief and exhibit glorious monetary efficiency.
“We get pleasure from what we do and actually respect our clients,” Dr. Choudhry says. “We all know you possibly can go wherever, so if you happen to’re keen to park your automobile and are available by way of our doorways, we’re going to attempt to perform a little bit additional to make you are feeling welcome.”
Palms Pharmacy is situated at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr. and is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. You may name the shop at (813) 252-9063 or textual content the safe text-only line at (727) 513-3210. For more information, go to ThePalmsPharmacy.com.
