Meet Dr. Andy McDonald II of Lone Star Pharmacy in Santa Fe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Andy McDonald II.

Dr. McDonald, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Max Tully gave me my first job in a pharmacy in 2002 at his store in my hometown of Santa Fe, TX. I began as the delivery driver and cashier before working my way up to a pharmacy technician position. I continued to work there and gain experience until being accepted into pharmacy school in 2006. Graduating from Texas A&M HSC College of Pharmacy in 2010, I accepted a position with Kroger Pharmacy, but always had the dream of opening my own independent store. Working full time for Kroger, and wherever I could on my off days, striving to reach that goal. In 2015, I partnered with some friends from pharmacy school and we opened Lone Star Pharmacy on January 5th, 2015. I was blessed to have Max, along with several employees who mentored me along the way, join myself in building a wonderful staff at Lone Star. It has been a long journey starting from the bottom and working my way up to having my own pharmacy. However, I wouldn’t change anything along the way.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think most business owners face struggles along the way. Working the hours we do puts a strain not only on yourself but also on your personal life. There is no such thing as a 40 hour work week. You must make sacrifices in order to achieve success. Probably two of the most important words that represent challenges for a small business are “cash flow”. Cash flow is a daily struggle for anyone starting off and continues to be as you try and grow. The stress of making sure you can at least pay your employees constant. You as the owner just hope you can take care of them and hopefully support your family at the same time.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lone Star Pharmacy – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Lone Star Pharmacy is a locally owned and operated retail pharmacy in Santa Fe, TX.

We pride ourselves on providing the best patient care possible. Outside of filling prescriptions we provide several other services. Those services include immunizations, OTC products, personalized compounded medications, direct contact with your pharmacist, and delivery service. Our staff also provides important health, wellness, and disease information for patients at no charge. At Lone Star Pharmacy, you can call and talk to your pharmacist about any questions or concerns you may have about your health. We grew up in this community and our patients are also our family. I take the most pride in that. It’s a family atmosphere and we pride ourselves in knowing each patient as an individual, not a number. You can’t get that at a chain pharmacy. When you call Lone Star Pharmacy, an actual human answer the phone. Our one on one interaction with the patient is what sets us apart from others.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Hopefully in the future we can build a larger store in order to continue to expand our services. We have just opened a second location in Canyon Lake, TX. Lone Star Pharmacy hopes to be able to provide a superior level of pharmacy services throughout Texas.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4111 FM 1764 Ste. F
  Santa Fe, TX 77517
• Website: www.lonestarpharm.com
• Phone: 409-925-9995
• Email: lonestarpharmacy@yahoo.com
• Instagram: @lonestarpharm
• Facebook: @lonestarpharmacy
• Twitter: @lonestarpharm

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