5 Questions With a Pharmacist: Michael and Joan Kim from Grubb’s Pharmacy

Michael Kim, PharmD, and his wife Joan, PharmD, make up the husband-and-wife team operating Grubb’s Pharmacy in Washington, DC. Since 1867, Grubb’s Pharmacy has been serving the DC community and is only getting more attention for its deep focus on valued care.

Michael Kim graduated from Howard University in 1998 and was part of the first ever entry-level PharmD class to graduate from the university’s College of Pharmacy. Joan Kim graduated from St. John’s College of Pharmacy in New York in 1995 and worked in both hospital and retail settings before moving to Maryland to start a new life with Michael.

Michael and Joan Kim are the owners of Grubb's Pharmacy in the Washington, DC, area. | image credit: Khawla / stock.adobe.com

Both Michael and Joan have been recognized for their incredible work in the pharmacy industry, where Joan has been featured as a speaker representing women in pharmacy and Michael has received several accolades including the Bowl of Hygeia Award, the Howard University College of Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year Award, and the Washington, DC Pharmacy Association Pharmacist of the Year Award.

Read about their amazing insights into independent pharmacy and learn about their story of continued success in the DC area.

Drug Topics: What is the newest offering at your pharmacy that you think will increase customer engagement and/or overall revenue?

Michael and Joan Kim: We recently received our DSMES accreditation and are currently engaged in conversations with DC Health to offer diabetes-related services to DC residents. We are also awaiting enrollment confirmation from the American Pharmacists Assocation (APhA) for their IMPACT Diabetes program, where we will deliver and be paid for Diabetes Prevention/Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) services.

We have also added A1c testing to our point of care testing program, which is a cash-only model. This is in addition to our COVID, flu, strep, and RSV testing. We plan to add more in the near future. Lastly, my wife is launching her hormone testing and education program for women's health and will be offering consultation on hormone replacement therapy and nutritional supplement options.

Drug Topics: What is one of the biggest challenges you face in today’s pharmacy industry?

Michael and Joan Kim: Cash flow is the biggest challenge because of the extremely low reimbursements from [pharmacy benefit managers] (PBMs) despite the rising cost of drugs, labor, and everything else.

Michael Kim, PharmD, and his wife Joan, PharmD | image credit: Michael Kim

Drug Topics: What are some things your pharmacy does to make the community feel welcomed?

Michael and Joan Kim: We've invested in our pharmacy storefront and our customer experience. We have a beautiful garden outside with benches and a fountain to create great curb appeal as people walk by or into the pharmacy. We make sure to maintain the garden area daily so that it's always clean and beautiful.

My wife has made the inside of the pharmacy just as beautiful and inviting by playing music and decorating with fresh plants, flowers, and seasonal decorations to keep customers engaged, curious, and feeling happy about walking into our pharmacy. She has also changed many of the products that we offer over the counter to include pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplements, mommy and baby products, fun gift cards, kiddie nail polish, and other fun items that are not available in surrounding drug stores.

Drug Topics: With the storied history of Grubb’s Pharmacy spanning over 150 years, how have you been able to further the success of your business in the 21st century?

Michael and Joan Kim: I think the secret to the success of any business is to stay informed of the changes happening in the industry and to make relevant changes to the business that will adapt to the changing landscape. I've always been involved with local and national organizations so that I can keep myself informed and engaged with the issues, challenges, and changes happening in the pharmacy industry.

The success of my business can be attributed to making the appropriate changes to the business when warranted, being innovative with products and services, not being afraid to take risks on new ideas, and having the support of my wife, my staff, and the community that we serve.

Drug Topics: What are some of the benefits of operating a pharmacy in the Washington, DC, area? And what has your experience working in this area been like?

Michael and Joan Kim: One big benefit is that Washington, DC, is densely populated so my service area can stay fairly small but service a lot of lives. DC is also home to many well-known hospitals, so we get to see a wide variety of disease states and medications that are not common in other areas of the country. People from all over the world come to Washington, DC, to visit, work, or live, so we have the pleasure of meeting those people from all walks of life and from all over the world.

It's been a great experience working in Washington, DC, after graduating from Howard University, which is also located in DC, so I've been in DC for 30 years now. I've always felt like I found my place in DC, where I belonged and where I was able to grow and succeed. I always say that I was in the right place, at the right time, presented with the right opportunity, with a pinch of luck on my side. I'm very fortunate and grateful to be able to operate my pharmacy in the beautiful neighborhood of Capitol Hill just a few blocks from the US Capitol building and the Supreme Court.

My wife and I were invited to speak with former Vice President Mike Pence after the 2020 riots in DC. We've hosted press conferences at the pharmacy for members of the US Congress, given vaccination shots to members of the US Senate, and even rented medical equipment to the most famous female activist in the civil rights movement. We were one of the first retail pharmacy locations in DC to offer COVID testing in partnership with HHS and have worked on other initiatives with HHS since then. Working in DC has afforded me the opportunity to meet people and do things that I most likely would not have done if I were working at another location.

READ MORE: How Pharmacy Advocacy is Heating Up at the Federal Level

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