INSIGHT - Summer 2020

Summer 2020 | 13 Paying it Forward OPEN Community Pharmacy OPEN Community Pharmacy Matchless “Community” Service at Davies Drugs Richard Edmund, Staff Writer For Steve Fettman, R.Ph., owner of Davies Drugs in Canton, OH, pharmacy is truly a family business. He grew up working in his father’s pharmacy, helping with everything from stocking shelves to delivering prescriptions throughout high school and college. He worked with his father as a fellow pharmacist after graduating pharmaceutical school 34 years ago, and in 2000, he bought the business from his dad. Today, he works alongside his brother and son – keeping the family legacy strong in the Hall of Fame City. For Steve, it’s about more than filling prescriptions. It’s about serving patients and filling the needs within a rich and storied community. When COVID-19 gripped the nation, Steve and his family looked for ways to help. Having the ability to make compounds quickly became a skill that would help pay it forward. “Suddenly, no one could get hand sanitizer,” Steve said. “A friend in law enforcement shared with me that police officers still had to respond to calls and felt vulnerable. We couldn’t even order hand sanitizer from wholesalers, so we got to work compounding one in our store and made sure officers on the force had a bottle they could keep in their car.” In short order, Steve’s staff produced 180 bottles of hand sanitizer to protect first responders. When state orders forced businesses to limit the number of customers allowed in stores, Steve already had a plan in place. The pharmacy had offered prescription delivery service for years. Beginning in March, he would have to make sure deliveries could drive the business and ensure patients had not only the prescriptions they needed, but also over-the-counter products. “Our delivery drivers were already busy,” Steve added. “But when COVID-19 hit, we had to add several drivers to ferry prescriptions and other products from the store to patients. When I had additional staff, I could offer delivery until eight o’clock at night and even expand weekend delivery.” But something unexpected happened to increase pharmacy deliveries after March. “We noticed a lot of prescriptions were being transferred from the big pharmacy chains to our community pharmacy,” he said. “Those pharmacies weren’t offering delivery and customers didn’t feel completely comfortable going out in public. So, they had the prescriptions sent to us and we took care of their needs.” When Steve isn’t behind the counter, his community is still top of mind. He’s embarked on a community project that centers on another passion: baseball. Canton native Thurman Munson was a catcher for the New York Yankees who was killed in a plane crash while landing at the Akron- Canton Regional Airport in 1979. Munson was eligible to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last year but was a few votes short. Steve is trying to raise awareness about Munson by awarding $500 scholarships to high-school baseball catchers. He picks onemale and one female player to receive the scholarship to help them further their career in the college ranks. “Being in Ohio, let’s just say I get a lot of ribbing for being a Yankees fan,” Steve laughed. “We have some lively baseball discussions among the staff, and even the customers get involved and weigh in with their thoughts when they walk in during one of our debates.” Whether it’s helping law enforcement stay safe, making sure patients can get their medications without having to leave their home, or ensuring student athletes have a little help to pay for college, there is no doubt Steve Fettman and the staff at Davies Drugs belong in a hall of fame all their own.