5 Questions With a Pharmacist: Stevie Veach from MercyOne Pharmacy

Stevie Veach, PharmD, BCACP, is a clinical pharmacist at MercyOne Pharmacy in Dubuque, Iowa. Receiving her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Iowa in 2006, she has had a first-hand experience of the 21st-century evolution of pharmacy in the past 20 years or so.

Aside from specific areas of expertise, like medication synchronization and immunization services, Veach’s focus is on helping pharmacies and their pharmacists provide valued care to their patients in a community setting. On top of her work at MercyOne Pharmacy, she is also a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and a member of multiple state and national professional pharmacy organizations.

Stevie Veach, PharmD, BCACP, clinical pharmacist at MercyOne Pharmacy in Dubuque, Iowa | image credit: Stevie Veach

Read about Veach’s life as a pharmacist and how she is making a difference not only within her community but in her state and country as well.

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

Stevie Veach: MercyOne Pharmacies have continued to expand their medication synchronization and immunization services over the past few years. Medication synchronization has helped reduce our inventory needs and streamline our staffing which has helped revenue-wise. As immunization recommendations have continued to expand, such as the new approvals for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in adults, MercyOne has promoted these vaccines and has been a referral source from other providers.

While it has not been implemented at MercyOne Pharmacies, I have also seen several community pharmacies in Iowa implement test-and-treat services for influenza and group A strep pharyngitis within the past year. By expanding these types of services, especially in rural communities in Iowa, pharmacies can increase patient access to care and timely treatment while also increasing revenue opportunities.

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

Stevie Veach: Declining reimbursement for the drug product continues to challenge community pharmacy’s viability. In 2024, we are seeing more and more pharmacy claims reimbursed below the cost of the drug and this is not sustainable. We have also faced challenges with staffing shortages. Due to these 2 factors, we have seen pharmacy closures or a reduction in hours open both within our own organization and amongst other community pharmacies in our area and state.

Despite these challenges, we continue to look for other opportunities to diversify our revenue streams. With the passage of the Iowa Pharmacy Practice Act Modernization Bill this year, we hope to be able to continue to expand our pharmacy service offerings.

Drug Topics: What are some things your pharmacy does to make the community feel welcomed?
Stevie Veach: MercyOne Pharmacy strives to meet the needs of the patient and our community. Some of the services that our pharmacies offer to meet these needs are home delivery of medications to local residents, medication synchronization, medication compliance packaging, and compounding of medications. Our pharmacy also offers delivery of meds to beds for patients discharging from the hospital. The pharmacy is able to triage any issues with drug availability and address any formulary or cost issues before the patient even leaves the hospital, which creates one less hurdle that the patient and/or their caregiver might need to overcome before arriving home.

Drug Topics: Can you explain what it’s like to serve the community of Dubuque, Iowa? Is there something about this area that stands out compared to other parts of the country?
Stevie Veach: One service and partnership that MercyOne Pharmacy has maintained for many years is providing pharmacy services for our local Hospice of Dubuque. Our pharmacy stocks and provides hospice medication kits to the hospice nurses, completes hospice medication order billing, delivers medications to patient homes as needed, and compounds medications that might not be commercially available in a dosage form needed for a patient. MercyOne’s clinical pharmacists also consult with the hospice team. It has been rewarding to serve the community in this capacity; to assist in easing some of the burden—even if just a small fraction—that patients and caregivers are experiencing during these difficult end-of-life situations.

Drug Topics: What are some things that have noticeably changed within the pharmacy community since you’ve started the profession in the early 2000s?

Stevie Veach: There have been many changes that I could potentially comment on, from changes to the insurance and reimbursement to changes in technology used in pharmacy. Not to mention the numerous new medications that have been approved since I graduated from pharmacy school that I need to keep current on.

One exciting change is the expanded role of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Since the time I graduated, the pharmacist role to recommend and administer vaccines has expanded immensely and even pharmacy technicians can assist in the administration. Most states have authorized pharmacists to test and treat for influenza or strep throat. In 2024, the state of Iowa followed the lead of a few other states and passed the adoption of a modernized Iowa Pharmacy Practice Act, which expands the scope of pharmacy practice. Many other states have enacted provider status legislation for pharmacists. Technician product verification is another expansion of the role for our pharmacy technicians allowed by many states. I am hopeful that these policy changes will allow pharmacists to practice at the top of their license.

If you or a pharmacist colleague is interested in being featured in Drug Topics’ 5 Questions With a Pharmacist series, please send all inquiries to editors@drugtopics.com.

READ MORE: 5 Questions With a Pharmacist: Anthony Minniti from Bell Pharmacy

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