Company Profile:
Pharmacy1 is the number one retail pharmacy chain in Jordan.
Pharmacy1 is raising the bar for pharmaceutical healthcare in the region through the following practices:
1. Experts in the field of pharmaceutical care
2. State-of-the-art prescription processing using Ph1 system
3. Patient counseling services
4. Educational updates
5. Pharmacy1 Training and Drug Information Center
6. Accessibility
How did you start your business?
Born to a pharmacist father in Palestine, I spent my entire life in the pharmacy business. At the age of 18, I immigrated from Palestine to Boston, USA. I was admitted to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy where I earned a degree in Pharmacy with a specialty in Retail Pharmacy Management in 1995. During my education and following graduation, I worked for CVS in Boston. I was promoted from an intern to a manager for the Boston region. After leaving CVS in 1997, my siblings and I acquired a small chain of pharmacies in Miami. However, after observing the successful business model of CVS and other chains in the US, it was quite easy to recognize a market gap in my home region.
At that time, the retail pharmacy sector in Jordan was characterized by poor quality of service, low level of technology, and inconsistent management among pharmacies. Seeing an opportunity, despite these challenges, I opened the first Pharmacy1 branch in 2001 in Amman and went back & forth to the US until I moved back with my family to Jordan in 2004.
With the emphasis on customer service and easily accessible products, the outcome was an immediate success. Soon after, I began to expand rapidly.
When you first started your business, were you expecting that it would become not only your full –time occupation, but also a growing company?
I started my business having exactly that in mind. That has been my motivation and determination from day one and today I can safely say it is starting to be recognized as a growing business. However, it never ceases to amaze me that it does.
Pharmacy1 is not only a successful business model; it has been improving the lives of stakeholders.
Customers have access to counseling by the experts in their domain. Moreover, the experts in pharmaceutical care, as I like to refer to them, have access to a wider-range of products in a more user friendly atmosphere.
Rebuilding the prestige associated with the industry by not only offering attractive salaries for employees, but also by changing people’s perceptions on the profession. Nowadays, people no longer perceive them as shopkeepers, on the contrary, they are considered to be professional and modern pharmacists. This transition was an essential outcome of our efforts and work so far.
What is the most rewarding thing you have accomplished and why do you cite it above all your other accomplishments?
My motto is and has always been “Everything is possible and we are able to do whatever we s et our minds into. Everything is possible if you have enough passion and determination to it. “Fulfillment of my vision and finding people, my current team, who share the same vision and motto is probably my greatest reward.”
It is by far, above everything else, the culminate point anyone can achieve; i.e. having a team that speaks, acts and believes in the same thing.
What were the biggest challenges you faced as an entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
Starting point, my biggest challenges were:
- Laws and regulations: the law allowing for the existence of chain pharmacies was there; however, it lacked implementation. It was up to Pharmacy1 to act and implement on it. That, as we all know, is always a big challenge.
- The human element: in a country swamped by huge talents, the lack of appreciation & understanding of the retail pharmacist role makes it very challenging to attract these talents. Moreover, the relatively high employee turnover represents a big challenge because Pharmacy1 invests in a lengthy training for all employees, finding employee replacements is a time consuming issue.
To overcome that, we built several simulation pharmacies in the local schools of pharmacies: Jordan University, University of Science & Technology, Isra’s University and Zeitouneh University. This has helped reach out and allocate talented students since those simulation pharmacies are shaped to serve as a recruitment center for these talents.
Today; in spite of the aforementioned, maintaining our success and keeping up with people’s expectations is our ongoing challenge that needs to be addressed continuously. Our business is very dynamic and we need to stay abreast of what happens around us and always look for ways to serve our customers better.
What do you think it takes to be successful in the industry your company competes in?
I do not believe there is a custom tailored formula of success for each industry out there. I strongly believe that whatever business domain you are involved in ‘just do it.’ Do not sit around waiting for somebody to give you something. Be in charge of your life and take full accountability for your future.
What advice would you give to those contemplating starting their own business?
Believe in yourself and always listen to your inner voice that pushes you forward. The talents we have in Jordan are incredible and we can achieve so much in a very professional way.
Believe you can & you will!
What is the question I did not ask, but should have?
You have covered all ranges of questions.
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