Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Marie Ekpema.
Dr. Ekpema, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I finished pharmacy school, and like many new graduates, I immediately pursued a career in retail pharmacy with the assumption that this was the best fit for me. I was very happy with my choice, but as the years past, I began to notice that many of my patients were not getting better. To make matters worse, neither their physicians nor myself knew what to do next because conventionally speaking, everything “in the book of guidelines” had already been tried on them. Around that time, I was also not feeling well myself, and after many trips to my doctor, we just couldn’t figure out what was going on. This continued until I took some time off work and decided to listen to my body and learn what it needed. I discovered that I was intolerant of certain foods that I ate every day, and I needed to use supplements. As soon as I addressed these things, I felt alive again and became a new woman. This new revelation propelled me to begin learning how to be an integrative and holistic pharmacist. I wanted to help my patients, but I also knew that it was important to combine herbs and vitamins with prescription medications safely. I returned to work after my break and tried my best to offer my patients unique solutions to their problems. Still, unfortunately, a chain retail pharmacy filling hundreds of prescriptions a day was not the right environment, and my superiors told me to focus on the “basics” and getting people in and out of the door quickly. I felt horrible and could not stand knowing a better option for a patient and not being able to share it with them just because it wasn’t profitable for the company. As a result, I began thinking about the type of pharmacy where I could genuinely help my patients without obstacles. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I needed to start my pharmacy to be the right type of pharmacist for my patients.
At this point, the idea of opening my pharmacy was born. The road to pharmacy ownership has not been easy, but I always remembered my purpose of empowering patients to change their lives for the better, and this has encouraged me. I also went back to my roots by drawing inspiration from my grandfather, who was an herbal healer, and my mother, who as a child, always took me farmer’s markets, herb stores, and encouraged me to be conscious about what I put in my body. From the first day, we opened our doors at Summerwood Pharmacy and Compounding. People have come to us for unique solutions to their problems from a pharmacist who cares. This is exactly what I had in mind when I opened the pharmacy, and it has been a very rewarding experience to see people who have been previously written off, to come alive by making some key changes in their lives. Most healthcare professionals underestimate the willingness of patients to make lifestyle changes. I believe that when people are given the knowledge and support they need, they feel empowered to make the changes necessary to improve their lives. I am blessed to work in a pharmacy where people’s lives are being changed every day and my staff and I feel a great sense of reward every day.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. Independent pharmacy ownership in today’s business climate is very challenging. As a new business owner, I was suddenly faced with the responsibility of all the regulatory compliance, management of employees, federal and legal obligations, and many more. These are things that I never even knew existed as an employee at a chain pharmacy because a corporate office handled everything. The realization that I am now “corporate” did take adjusting, too, but it allowed me to shape a company that would be great for employees, but also offer patients an extraordinary experience. The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the volatile nature of the independent pharmacy industry, a major accident in the building, and more threatened to discourage me within the first 18 months. However, I kept my mind on the reason why I opened and the fact that many people rely on Summerwood Pharmacy and Compounding for their families’ medications and supplements every day. The process has not only allowed me to learn on the job but also strengthen me to be a more resilient and focused businesswoman. My faith in Jesus Christ has also grown tremendously in this process. I believe that it is impossible to reach the next level and be successful without believing in something greater than yourself and leaning on that power in difficult times. It is a great responsibility to know that my actions not only impact me as a pharmacist, but impact my employees, patients, and the future of my business. This is also very humbling and has allowed me to always keep things in perspective.
Please tell us about Summerwood Pharmacy and Compounding.
Summerwood Pharmacy and Compounding is the one stop shop for anyone looking for a pharmacy and wellness center. Like most community pharmacies, we fill all prescriptions from your child’s antibiotic to your grandmother’s heart medicine. However, we take things a step further by ensuring that the focus remains on making the whole patient well instead of just filling the prescription they need on that day. This is achieved by helping the patient adopt a healthy diet and lifestyles, spending more time counseling patients compared to chain pharmacies, and recommending pharmaceutical grade supplements when necessary. Our staff is always available to safely recommend the right pharmaceutical grade supplement for a patient as well as offer scheduled consultations when necessary. Compounding is the art and science of creating personalized medicine for a specific patient’s needs. We specialize in this art and science by providing solutions for people who otherwise would have no options. Our compounding services touch the lives of everyone from a baby with a heart defect needing a medication that is flavored “just right,” to a man needing testosterone that is made in the exact dose that his body needs, to a dog needing an antibiotic made into a beef flavored treat. I am passionate about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy and have special training and designation as a hormone specialist by the professional compounding centers of America. In my capacity as a hormone specialist, I have been able to start the women’s collaborative program through which we work with other healthcare providers to balance women’s hormones naturally. We have been able to help hundreds of women balance their hormones. The help we offer women is life changing, and the fact that we are a resource to many physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants is very rewarding. Summerwood Pharmacy and Compounding also helps long term care facilities provide medications to their residents. We provide unit dosing and also offer free delivery to facilities all over Houston and surrounding areas. Lastly, we are proud to offer educational classes and events for the community and free classes for seniors at Lone Star Community College. These events and classes are free and allow people to ask questions and connect with the pharmacist in a very open and relaxed atmosphere. Our topics range from bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to CBD oil and more. We are the only pharmacy in the area that offers this free resource, and we are proud to support our community.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would do everything exactly the same. I am who I am today because of the experiences/mistakes/wins/omissions I made at the beginning of my business venture. There will always be something that we wish we did differently, but the truth is that we cannot be 100% sure that the outcome would have been better. Success is a very windy road, but that gives a person character, resilience, and a unique story to use and encourage others. The fact that I can take care of patients every day at Summerwood Pharmacy and Compounding is a gift that I treasure. I also truly believe that if everything were always perfect and flawless, we would have no excitement in life, and we would have no opportunity to learn and grow. However, I believe in living today to the fullest and considering mistakes or failure an opportunity to learn something new or go in a different direction.
Contact Info:
- Address: Summerwood Pharmacy and Compounding
13176 West Lake Houston Pkwy Ste 1 Houston, Texas 77044 - Website: www.summerwoodrx.com
- Phone: 281-225-4300
- Email: info@summerwoodr.com
Image Credit:
Dr. Marie Ekpema and Angi Lewis Photography
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