Employee spotlight: Patrick Hildenbrandt, chief pharmacy officer

Patrick Hildenbrandt, chief pharmacy officer, isn’t just the leader of our Pharmacy team – he’s actually the founder of the Pharmacy at Evergreen. As chain pharmacies across Western New York close their doors, Patrick is dedicated to providing unconditional pharmacy services and welcoming new patients to our 2 (soon to be 3!) pharmacy locations.

Patrick graduated from pharmacy school at the University at Buffalo, where he focused on pediatric and adult inpatient and outpatient HIV care and developed his interest in working with underserved communities. In 2011, Ray Ganoe, Evergreen’s president and CEO, approached him with the idea to open a pharmacy at Evergreen.

So, you got the chance to build a pharmacy on your terms – how is the Pharmacy at Evergreen different from other pharmacies?

We care about being accessible and approachable. From the beginning, I wanted this to be a boutique local pharmacy – everything you think of from the pharmacy in It’s a Wonderful Life minus the soda jerk. I’ve always felt it important to connect with patients. I believe in being on the same level as everybody, so we don’t wear lab coats in the pharmacy. Patients call me by name and get my cell number so they can contact me after hours or on the weekends with questions.

We charge very little compared to a chain pharmacy in keeping with our not-for-profit status. Essentially, what we pay is what the patient pays, we make just enough to keep our doors open, and any revenue we generate goes directly back into Evergreen’s services for the community.

Independent pharmacies give better service – you’re not just a number at a counter, we care and we’re more able to go above and beyond. Most cases, we have our patients’ medicine ready before they even know they need it. We call them and say “hey, you’re due for your medications in a couple days, do you want us to start working on them?”

Why is it important for people to get their medications in a welcoming, non-judgmental, affirming environment?

I want our patients to be able to ask us questions that they might not feel comfortable asking other pharmacies.

For example, we specialize in HIV treatment and prevention meds, so we see a lot of HIV positive patients. When someone gets a new HIV diagnosis in the Primary Care office upstairs, we send a pharmacist up to talk about the medicine and how the pharmacy can support them. So that’s different from a chain type pharmacy, where they could walk in feeling alone and wondering “what if they shout out the name of my medicine in the waiting room,” or “what if I have questions and they judge me for my status?”

Of course, it isn’t just these folks that benefit from going to a pharmacy where the staff is welcoming and really care. We see people of all ages and walks of life and everyone can expect the same welcoming treatment from our team.

A lot of barriers can pop up for people that prevent them from getting the medications they need, between getting to the pharmacy, waiting in line, and paying for meds. How do we make our pharmacy services more accessible?

Free home delivery is huge – if you don’t live near us, or if you don’t have a car, we can get you your medications when you need them, in all eight counties of Western New York. We’re all so busy these days, not having to add a stop to the pharmacy is really helpful, especially for families. We can serve people over the phone so they never have to come in.

We do refill coordination, which means we talk to the patient’s provider when their medicine needs to be refilled so their medicine is ready when they need it and they don’t have to waste time on the phone or in line.

One of our most popular services is pill packs – we can sort the patient’s medications into individual pouches or slots for the time that they’re supposed to take them. They’re designed to be opened with ease, so they’re really helpful for patients who are older, have chronic health problems, or take multiple medications.

Cost is one of the biggest barriers we help people overcome – medications only work when you take them, and a good chunk of the time when people don’t take their medicine it’s because they can’t afford it. We’ll figure out payment plans, find manufacturer programs to cover it, or connect them to the Financial Counseling Center for help finding insurance.

Why go with a local pharmacy like us?

If you want to support the free services Evergreen provides the community, using our pharmacy is the best way. Money from our pharmacy funds our free services for underserved patients, and it’s a revenue stream that can help keep us afloat during difficult and unsteady times like we’re experiencing now.

If you’re not a mega donor, the best way you can help our community is by getting a service that you need either way, here. Why send your money to another city and billionaires’ pockets by going to a chain pharmacy? Keep your money local. We reinvest it locally to help people in every county of Western New York.

What’s life like when you’re not providing unconditional care to our Pharmacy patients?

My husband, Dennis is actually the dentist at Evergreen, and we have two dogs. We live in the city and enjoy going to Food Truck Tuesday. On the weekend we like to get out of the city and go down to Chautauqua just to escape it all. We like to eat and drink and have fun.

The Pharmacy at Evergreen is open to everyone (you don’t have to be an Evergreen patient to use our pharmacy). Ask your provider to switch you to the Pharmacy at Evergreen, or call us directly at 716.541.0656 and we’ll take care of it.