EP 288: Dr. Deepa Pattani is bringing back the old-fashioned pharmacy experience in Allen, Texas.

What Makes Dr. Deepa Pattani with Allen Pharmacy and Wellness a Good Neighbor?

Ever wondered if there's a better approach to pharmacy care than the impersonal experience at big chain stores? Dr. Deepa Pattani is reviving the lost art of the neighborhood pharmacy through Allen Pharmacy and Wellness.

Drawing from over 20 years of pharmaceutical expertise across hospitals, retail chains, and universities, Dr. Pattani noticed a troubling pattern: patients would recover in hospitals only to be readmitted days later. This observation sparked her mission to bridge the gap between hospital discharge and home care, eventually blossoming into a full-service community pharmacy that puts relationship-based care at its center.

Allen Pharmacy and Wellness specializes in serving elderly patients who've accumulated numerous medications over years of specialist visits. Rather than simply dispensing pills, Dr. Pattani's team evaluates whether each medication still serves its purpose, often helping seniors reduce their pill burden while improving quality of life. Their patient-centered approach extends beyond their storefront with delivery services covering a 60-mile radius, making healthcare accessible to homebound individuals and those in assisted living facilities.

What's perhaps most remarkable is how this pharmacy has thrived solely through word-of-mouth referrals. When patients experience care that prioritizes their overall wellness instead of just treating symptoms, they naturally spread the word. The pharmacy also partners with local nonprofits to ensure financial constraints don't prevent community members from accessing essential medications.

Whether you're looking for medication management, travel vaccines, or simply a pharmacist who knows your name and health journey, Allen Pharmacy and Wellness offers a refreshing alternative to impersonal chain experiences.

To learn more about Allen Pharmacy and Wellness, go to: allenpharmacywellness.com

Allen Pharmacy and Wellness

972-372-9775

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a pharmacycompany?
Well, one may be closer thanyou think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
Dr Deepa Patani, with AllenPharmacy and Wellness.
Dr Patani, how are you today?

Speaker 3 (00:27):
I'm doing really well .
Thank you so much for thelovely introduction, Ms Sophia,
and I'm super excited to be here.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yes, and super excited to have you on Now.
Can you start by telling ourlisteners a little bit about
your company?

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yes, hi, so I'm the owner and pharmacist at Allen
Pharmacy and Wellness.
We're located on Stacy andWaters in Allen, texas, and
we're about six years in, and westarted the pharmacy as a way
to be a part of the community,because I'm a firm believer of

(01:03):
not everything needs to behandled through medications, and
you know there's a lot that wecan do, and so I wanted to
really have that old neighborlypharmacy place that you know we
all kind of sometimes ourparents and grandparents and
everyone grew up with, where apharmacist would know things
about you and your health andcan guide you in that journey.

(01:24):
And we just don't have thatkind of pharmacy environment
anymore, and so that's why webuilt Allen Pharmacy and
Wellness, so that we can havethat community where everyone in
the community can come together, they can feel comfortable and
safe to share their healthconcerns with their pharmacist

(01:45):
and that they can get some goodguidance on how they can improve
their life as they age, and howthey can age well and be
healthy and improve theirquality of life not just with
taking medication.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Wow.
And Dr Patani, how did youoriginally get into this
business or come up with theidea for it?

Speaker 3 (02:06):
So I have a doctorate in pharmacy and I won't date
how old I am, I just have 20plus years of experience in the
pharmacy world and I worked inevery capacity as a pharmacist.
I've worked with industry, I'veworked with the big retail
chains, I've worked withuniversities.
I've just, you know, I've donea lot of different things as a

(02:28):
pharmacist.
I've even worked in thehospital setting for a good
decade, and I kind of keptseeing the same trend again and
again, and that was, you know,when a patient gets sick and
they go into the hospital, theywould get better, and then they
would leave the hospital, onlyto wind up back in the hospital
a couple days later.
And so that that always kind ofplagued me, like what was going

(02:51):
on with their care?
Where was their care fallingapart after they left the
hospital?
Why is it, you know, why is itsuch, a, such a challenging
place to navigate for people?
And so that's when I kind of hadstarted my consulting company
before starting the pharmacy,where I would really guide
patients that left the hospitaland help them with that

(03:12):
transition from going from thehospital to the home.
And we did that for about threeyears and we were doing really
well just helping all thepatients stay out of the
hospital once they got home.
And then slowly thattransitioned into the need for
okay.
Well, these patients don't justneed someone right after they
transition, they also need tocontinue their care.

(03:32):
And so then we've just kind ofseen the need in the community
and tried to continue to fillthat need.
And so here we are six yearsafter that, so about nine years
we've been doing this in thecommunity.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Wow.
Now, dr Patani, we know thatmarketing is the heart of every
business.
Who are your target customersor clients, I should say and, in
terms of marketing, how do youcurrently attract them?

Speaker 3 (04:05):
We have a soft spot for the elderly population,
especially because you know they, as they've kind of gotten
older too and their health hasdeteriorated over time Every
doctor they see we just startaccumulating a whole list of
medications by the time we getto a certain age, and so that's

(04:26):
where our specialty is.
We really help our elderlypopulation reduce the number of
pills that they need to betaking.
We evaluate if it's things thatthey need to take, if the meds
that they were on, have theyserved their purpose, are they
still serving their purpose ornot, or what changes we need to
make to that.
So that is really still oursoft spot, so, and we deliver in

(04:49):
a 60 mile radius.
So you know our target audienceis anyone, that is, you know,
either a homebound person, anelderly person that can't get to
the pharmacy, that needs helplooking through their medication
, whether they're living in anassisted living facility or an
independent living facility,then those are our target

(05:11):
audience right now and the waythat we market to them is we
haven't done any marketing.
All of our patients have reallycome to us through word of mouth
and we have just continued togrow in that manner.
Because once they've kind ofcome in contact with us and
they've seen where our heart isand how we help them, and then

(05:31):
they just kind of go out andtell everybody else and that's
how we've kind of stayed inbusiness all these years.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Wow, now, have you ever thought of having your own
podcast?
One second so, dr Patani, haveyou ever thought of having your
own podcast?

Speaker 3 (05:54):
I have.
It's just a lot of work forlike one business owner to try
to do everything grow yourbusiness, actually take care of
the patients.
I would love to.
I've just been on severalpodcasts.
I've taught some classes at thelocal community colleges
because I love to teach, andthen every now and then I do

(06:15):
have a private Facebook groupfor our patients at Allen
Pharmacy and then I also do justkind of post now on social and
share my tips and you knowthings to do and things like
that.
Just whenever it comes to me, Ijust share the tip right away
on social platforms.
Um, but no, I don't have my ownpodcast at the moment outside

(06:37):
of work.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
What do you like to do for fun?

Speaker 3 (06:40):
I love to read, I love to travel and see the world
and um really like to just seehow different people, like
generally live their lives.
And when you spend enough timewith everyone, you kind of
realize that we're not all thatdifferent, so that I love doing
that.
I love to travel.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
That's awesome.
Now, Dr Patani, what is onething you would like our
listeners to remember aboutAllen pharmacy and wellness?

Speaker 3 (07:15):
So the one thing that I would like for our listeners
to remember about us is ifyou're in any kind of a bind
that we can really help with andalso like delivery, and so if

(07:46):
there's any kind of jam that ourpatients are ever in, we also
work with several nonprofits inthe organization and we work
with a lot of people in thecommunity that can't afford
their medications.
And so if you're in any ofthose situations, if you find
yourself in those places whereyou need help right away, you
need some medications right awaythen you know, please do think

(08:07):
of us.
We try our best to try to makesure that you're taken care of
and that you know things don'tescalate in your health and that
if we can be of any assistancein those matters, then we would
be privileged to walk that pathalongside them.

Speaker 2 (08:24):
Any final words for our listeners today about Allen
Pharmacy and Wellness.

Speaker 3 (08:29):
No, except for you know, like I said, we have zero
marketing that we do.
But if you've ever used us orcome see us on Stacey and Waters
, and if you've ever used us orcome, come see us on Stacey and
Waters, and and if you arecurrently a patient of ours,
then you know, please help usspread the word and that's how
we kind of grow and can helptake care of more people in our
community.
So so, as any small businessowner would request your reviews

(08:54):
, your likes, you just talkingabout us and sharing about us
with your friends and family,that can.
That is the biggest gift thatyou can give us.
So thank you.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
What about a website our listeners can go to to learn
more about Allen Pharmacy andWellness?

Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yes, our, we do have a website.
It's called.
It's allenpharmacywellnesscom,and we also have a private
Facebook page and a group calledAllen Pharmacy and Wellness, so
you're welcome to find us thereand ask us about any kind of
questions.
We do travel vaccines, we dopretty much a lot of the things
that you could need help with,and so we would be very happy to

(09:34):
help with any of those.
And if we are not, we're stillvery well connected with our
chamber and and other resources,so when we are not able to help
, we would love to guide you tosomebody who can help you.
So think of us as a resource inthe community and and we would
love to see you and get to knowyou Well, dr Patani.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
I really appreciate you being on today's show.
We wish you and your businessthe best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (10:01):
Thank you so much, ms Sophia, and it was a pleasure
to get to know you as well.
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (10:07):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPFriscocom.
That's GNPFriscocom, or call469-221-9345.