SANDSTONE, Minn. — For Emily Zajac, it was serving her country in the Air Force that led to her pharmacy path. “I graduated high school at 17 years old, and joined the U.S. Air Force to become an F-16 crew chief. I spent five years overseas as a fighter jet mechanic, with assignments in South Korea and Italy. When I was deployed to Afghanistan, I took an immediate interest in the key role that pharmaceuticals played in the survival of the combat wounded, until they could receive care off the battlefield. The drugs contained in the combat medic’s backpack varied from lollipops to tablets, and I was intrigued by the versatility — from indication to formulation — that one backpack could encompass. I knew that I needed to follow the path to study and practice the science of pharmacy.”

Emily Zajac, Thrifty White Pharmacy #772, 707 Lundorff Drive South Suite 2, Sandstone, Minn. 55072, thriftywhite.com

She says the pandemic has impacted the business going forward. “While immunization services are not a new addition to our pharmacy, the pandemic showcased our role in providing vaccinations to our community. By offering expertise and accessibility to the COVID-19 vaccine, the community’s perception of our pharmacy catapulted to that of an integral part of their health care team. Further, the ability for technicians to administer flu and COVID vaccines has been pivotal in our operation to keep our community healthy. Serving in a rural area, it is essential that we maximize the capabilities that each pharmacy member can contribute to our mission.”

Zajac says that advances in technology are allowing the pharmacy to take better care of the patients. “Our medication synchronization service allows many medications to be filled at a central fill site, which frees up time for pharmacists to have more opportunity to focus on clinical interventions and have in-depth conversations that are essential to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care. RxMedSync also reduces the number of incoming calls from patients inquiring about their medications. Thrifty White pharmacists utilize workload balancing, where pharmacists at multiple locations across the chain work together to check prescriptions. This means that our pharmacists can easily step away to take care of patients, without feeling the burden of the dispensing workload,” she explains.

She adds that administering a full-range of vaccines is an important contribution to the rural community that she takes pride in fulfilling. “Our services span from preventative health care to complex care with our combination of in-store and off-site specialty pharmacy services. I am proud to provide our community with access to a variety of health screenings, Medication Therapy Management and injectable medication administration. This type of versatility is invaluable to a rural area.”

“Our Medication Therapy Management service is an important attribute in serving our rural area. Performing a comprehensive medication review and patient assessment supports our obligation to optimize our patients’ drug therapy and improve therapeutic outcomes. We also facilitate closing gaps in preventative health care by notifying and educating patients on their need to schedule an annual physical, mammogram or kidney evaluation,” she adds.

Zajac says her pharmacy works with other health care professionals as an integral part of a patient’s health care team. “We have a collaborative practice agreement with a prominent family practice clinic that serves our county. The clinic has three locations in our area, and 18 prescribers that we work with collaboratively. Our authorization under this agreement spans from statin initiation to therapeutic medication ­interchanges.”

She adds that education is important. “Providing medication counseling is vital to providing comprehensive patient care. Educating patients on their disease states, prescription drugs and over-the-counter needs are all key components to ensuring healthy outcomes.”

She says that educating patients is one of her favorite parts of her job. “The responsibility of educating patients on their medications is my favorite part of the job. Having important conversations that directly impact healthy outcomes is very fulfilling. Maintaining good health is the foundation that we build our lives upon, and it is a privilege to provide medication and education that can so deeply impact the life a person lives.”

She recalls a patient who asked her to take his blood pressure because he felt he was weak. Upon sitting down in the consultation room, he noted tiredness and a reduced ability to complete the physical demands of his job. He complained of feeling an irregular heartbeat, even when he was at rest. “I advised that his symptoms aligned with more than a blood pressure concern, and urged him to visit urgent care for more comprehensive evaluation. A few days later, he returned to the pharmacy with a prescription for a blood thinner, and thanked me for my intervention that led to his diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. It was especially fulfilling, because I was able to complete the exchange by navigating his insurance coverage so that he could afford and obtain his ­prescription.”

She says a mentor is very important to have. “My senior regional support pharmacist, Sarah Schmidt, has been an invaluable mentor to me. Her expertise about our company’s programs has been an essential component towards the successful implementation of these services in our community,” she says.