Nate Chandler is the newest pharmacist at Arrowhead Pharmacy in Grand Marais. He joins George Badeaux behind the counter filling prescriptions and giving advice on how and when to take your medications.
Coming from a small town in northern Wisconsin, Chandler saw firsthand how the demise of a small town pharmacy affected his grandparents, friends and family.
“I grew up in Bruce, Wisconsin, a town of about 800 people. When the pharmacy closed in town my grandparents had to travel 30 miles to get their prescriptions filled. That’s tough to do in the middle of the winter. It was hard on them, hard on the town when the pharmacy closed. Watching this spurred my interest in rural pharmacy,” Chandler said.
But like most young people there were a few twists and turns before he got around to pharmacy school. Chandler spent six years working as a tool and die maker in Arizona before entering college to begin his path to his new career, graduating from the University of Minnesota Duluth school of pharmacy this spring.
And how did Chandler end up in Grand Marais?
“I met Laurie Schwartzwald in Brainerd when I spent five weeks at Guide Point Pharmacy as a student. UMD places fourth-year students in different settings—hospitals, community pharmacies and larger pharmacies to give them a well-rounded experience before sending them off into the field. Laurie takes a lot of students and she’s got a great reputation for training and working with new pharmacists. She has been named Preceptor of the Year for her work with student pharmacists. After my stint in Brainerd she and her husband asked me if I would be interested in working in Grand Marais when school was done. I’ve been here a month and I have to say I’m excited to be up here. The people I have met have been very friendly. This is a great place, a unique area and I hope to make it my home,” said Chandler.
Arrowhead Pharmacy offers a wide range of services including online prescription refills, prescription services, vitamins and supplements, health and beauty aids and has a Scandinavian gift shop—The Viking Hus—connected to it. It also carries a full line of greeting cards, toiletries, gifts, books, and magazines.
“We provide services to the residents of the county, the North Shore Hospital and Care Center, various group homes and to Grand Portage. We want to be the medication experts for the Northland,” Chandler said.
Since purchasing the business, the Schwartzwalds have continually updated both the inside (last year) and outside of the building—adding new landscaping and a new paint job this summer—and now have added new services. When a client with a new prescription comes in they will receive instruction on how to take the medicine and what side effects to look for.
“We want to make sure people are comfortable with the medication before leaving the pharmacy,” Chandler said.
“We are also looking at adding delivery once or twice a week to the East and West end areas,” said Laurie Schwartzwald.
Other clinical services that will become available are having longterm clients bring in their medications for a yearly review. “Sometimes a person has been taking a medication for so long they don’t even remember what the drug does and how it might affect them. This is especially true when people have several different medications they are on and have been taking them over a number of years,” said Nate.
For customers who need help with over-the-counter medicines (from tick bites to cold remedies, etc.) Laurie Schwartzwald encourages across the counter discussions with her staff. “We’re here to service the public the best way we can. If people need help with information, please ask one of our pharmacists.”
There will also be times when fourth-year students will be available and they will assist in counseling patients, helping with blood pressure and blood glucose screenings, and implementing therapeutic substitutions for patients.
“We strongly encourage therapeutic substitutions to save patients money, while keeping them on a medication that is just as effective as the expensive one they were on,” said Laurie Schwartzwald, adding, “Our goal is to be part of the health care team. We have a wealth of information to share about medications and how they can be used safely and effectively. We strive to do our very best for every single patient we serve.”
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