PHI Pharmacy marks 15th year with opening of Kagman branch

PHI Pharmacy, the Commonwealth’s leading and most trusted pharmacy, is celebrating 15 years of serving the island community today, July 29, 2011. To commemorate this auspicious and celebratory occasion, PHI Pharmacy will have the formal grand opening of its newest store inside Joeten store in Kagman and offers 25 percent off on all OTC products and 50 percent off selected products.

“Our latest store is located in Kagman for the convenience of the people because there’s a large segment of the population living in that area,” said PHI Pharmacy owner Bruce A. Cohen. “With the expensive price of gas and transportation being a major concern, PHI wants to make sure people have access to outpatient pharmaceuticals.”

PHI Pharmacy, Cohen said, endeavors “to take away the barriers” so that people could easily have access to their medications.

The Kagman store, which had its soft opening on June 20, is PHI Pharmacy’s fourth location. Other branches are conveniently located in different areas on the island: at the Commonwealth Health Center in Navy Hill, Joeten Building in Dandan, and at Marina Heights II in Puerto Rico.

Cohen, a licensed pharmacist, told the Saipan Tribune that the Kagman store will be PHI Pharmacy’s biggest or flagship pharmacy.

“Our customers will see a massive upgrade of services at our Kagman location where they can have more access to pharmaceuticals. We also expanded into the homecare area. We work with nursing agencies, supplying them with medications and supplies necessary to keep patients out of the hospital and provide services at home,” he said.

With the new location, PHI also formed a separate division for wholesaling. “We wholesale to doctors’ offices and other organizations that purchase pharmaceuticals and medical supplies,” said Cohen, adding that the wholesale and homecare areas are “growing rapidly.”

PHI through the years

According to Cohen, PHI Pharmacy has improved its services “tremendously” in the course of 15 years. “We privatized the outpatient pharmacy at CHC, starting out just selling prescription drugs, [then] expanding into over the counter medication,” he reveals.

After a while, Cohen realized the need for PHI Pharmacy to have other locations, prompting him to expand first in Dandan, then Puerto Rico, and now in Kagman. PHI Pharmacy now has close to 30 staff, including Cohen, who serve and provide assistance to the stores’ growing clientele base.

“PHI has increased sales year after year since we opened 15 years ago, despite the economic hard times. People need medicine and they always rely on PHI for their medical needs,” added Cohen.

For PHI Pharmacy’s hard-earned success, Cohen gives credit to the trust that customers have with their four stores, hence the pharmacy’s tagline, “The pharmacy you can trust.”

“Trust is very important,” emphasized Cohen. “We get calls constantly from patients, whether they bought the products here or not—we’re available to them. Doctors call us and ask questions. We’re a source of information on medical, pharmaceuticals, diseases, and other info for the community.”

In fact, PHI Pharmacy hands out informative brochures about prevention and care for different diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. It maintains a website, www.phipharmacy.com, which contains more information about disease prevention and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

“The website is link to other national websites such as the Good Neighbor Pharmacy and the Diabetes Shoppe” said Cohen.

PHI Pharmacy also accepts orders from customers who need certain prescribed medications and OTC items that are not currently available at any of the stores or on the island.

What’s more, PHI Pharmacy also has a tie up with the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, serving as a host to graduating students who perform a six-week rotation of internship at the pharmacy.

Cohen disclosed that PHI Pharmacy has a strong partnership with the government, providing pharmaceutical and supplies to most of their offices. “We lend our expertise to the government when they ask and we provide them with support,” he said, adding that PHI Pharmacy also provides assistance to TLC Learning Center, which caters to people with disabilities.

Cohen emphasized that all their stores accept not just Medicaid but also private, local, and national insurances. He said PHI Pharmacy also provides a medical indigent assistance program for people who don’t qualify for Medicaid and don’t have private insurance. “We go the extra mile to make sure that people have what they need,” he added.

Anniversary promotion

Aside from the grand opening of its Kagman store, PHI Pharmacy will mark its 15th anniversary with a special 25-percent discount on all OTC items and durable medical equipment at all four locations beginning July 29 through Aug. 12.

“It’s our way of telling our loyal patrons that we appreciate their business, we appreciate their loyalty, and we hope to meet all their needs in the future and exceed their expectations,” said Cohen.

According to Cohen, PHI Pharmacy does have regular promotions, at least quarterly, which are a big hit especially for those on a tight budget and seek savings on their pharmacy purchases.

“Even though the cost of transportation and freight has gone up, the price of our pharmaceuticals has not changed,” he noted.

Cohen added, “We look forward to serving the community in the coming years.”

Vision for the future

After 15 years, PHI Pharmacy already has four locations on island and has served thousands of customers along the way. What else does the trusted pharmacy in the CNMI want to achieve in the coming years?

“We’d like to participate in as many community activities, health fairs, and functions as possible,” reveals Cohen. “In the past, we have gone to many functions and provided free information and literature. We want to make sure pharmaceutical knowledge is easily accessible as well as pharmaceutical products and supplies.”

Cohen pointed out that PHI is deeply involved in the island community.

“There is a need to understand the severity of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension—the silent killers. There should be compliance with regard to people taking their medications as these can postpone or completely alleviate future complications,” he explained.

According to Cohen, PHI Pharmacy is in a “unique position” as it not only carries a lot of responsibility but also gives a lot of fulfillment. “It makes you feel very good when you’re around town and somebody walks up to you and says ‘thank you for helping us.’”

Indeed, the community trusts PHI Pharmacy. Visit any of its four locations for your pharmaceutical needs. CHC-Navy Hill location is open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm on Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays. The Dandan store is open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and will soon open on Saturdays. The Marina Heights-Puerto Rico store is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. The new Kagman location is open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm Saturday.

For more information, call 323-5000 (CHC-Navy Hill), 235-6170 (Dandan), 323-5100 (Puerto Rico) or 256-6170 (Kagman).