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Jade Ranger, owner and pharmacist. As an independent pharmacy, The Prescription Shoppe can compound medication on-site and access vaccines before many of their larger competitors.
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Henry Ranger, owner and pharmacist.
We’ve gotten so used to the prescription counter inside our grocery stores and drug stores that entering an independent pharmacy is remarkably different. Opening the door to The Prescription Shoppe is like entering a spa. There’s a blend of lemongrass and eucalyptus oils in the air, and the soothing colors of Tiffany blue and natural wood create a peaceful effect. Plus, friendly people greet you!
This is by design. After meeting in pharmacy school at Hampton University, Drs. Henry Ranger and Jade Ranger found that community pharmacy appealed to them and they opened the store in March 2019.
“During our pharmacy rotations, we saw so many options. We wanted the chance to be patient-centered and treat everyone like family,” said Jade. So, pharmacists are easy to access; you can just walk in and talk to them – so should always be part of the health care team.
“I feel like independent pharmacies are going to start making a comeback,” Henry said. “There are a ton of pharmacists out there that, like me, are tired of the way big box pharmacies operate.”
After working in corporate pharmacies, Henry, 34, and Jade, 33, decided to take the leap, even being a fairly young family with two sons Jacob, 7, and Joshua, 3. But they see this as an advantage.
“Our customers see us as a family business and enjoy seeing us grow as a family. I think being a young African-American couple has contributed to our success,” she said.
Jade handles the design of the store, operations and advertising. Henry handles analytics and finances.
Everyone handles customer service. “This is an area with a lot of retirees who want to feel better, be well and be healthy. We’re so thankful we can help them with their choices,” she said.
One of the challenges of having so many pharmaceutical options is that people can have medication interactions, or challenges taking them properly, which pharmacists can help with.
“All meds have side effects, and for some seniors, then they take meds for that side effect. We want to help manage this. If people feel it’s not working, the pharmacy can encourage them to wait to see results, or ask, are you taking it correctly? On the other hand, if it’s working, they might think ‘I’m fine,’ and we provide a reminder that you feel better because you’re taking your meds correctly,” Jade said.
As part of The Prescription Shoppe services, the Rangers offer clinics at senior living facilities, pill packaging for daily medications and a delivery service, which saw a significant increase during the COVID-19 virus. They provide vaccinations for the flu, pneumonia and shingles as well as those for people travelling overseas. When the shingles vaccine was in short supply, their good relationship and ability to negotiate independently got it in stock when few others had it.
It’s also important for the Rangers to engage in community leadership in greater Williamsburg. Jade wrote a Letter to the Editor sharing some of her and Henry’s experience as Black professionals in Williamsburg and although she said it was hard to be vulnerable, people reacted with overwhelming support.
“We know that people are watching, and we are setting an example for the kids to see people like me do this, and thought it was important to note that we are not an exception to some experiences. But our choice to raise awareness for people who know us but don’t see how our experience might be different has created a lot of support,” she said.
Jade and Henry also work with the community through outreach, through programs at New Zion Baptist like L.O.V.E. ministry and as part of “Be the Bridge.”
Henry shared a story about their commitment to personal service, that they have the opportunity to do because of their business: “I remember a delivery for a one-year-old child who had a fever of 103. An antibiotic had been called in for him earlier that day, but his parents didn’t realize we closed at 6pm. His mom reached out to us that night through Facebook to let us know how serious things were. So despite being at home already and changed out of my work clothes, I drove back to the pharmacy to pick up his prescription to then take it to his house. And let me tell you, it was absolutely worth it!”
The Rangers believe that every relationship you make matters and leads to something—in their case, putting the ‘care’ in community health care.
