Pharmacist Joel Thornbury, center, stands outside NOVA Pharmacy with pharmacy technicians Stan Burke, left, and Lisa Stanley. NOVA will close its doors to patients on May 22 then permanently on May 31. The closure comes, according to Thornbury, after a number of challenges that the business and industry face became insurmountable.
As a pharmacist whose family has been in the business since the early 20th century, Joel Thornbury has opened, and closed, several pharmacies over his career.
However, the latest closure, that of NOVA Pharmacy on U.S. 23 south of downtown Pikeville later this month, hits hard for him after nearly 25 years in business and it being his home base pharmacy.
"I have a great patient-centered pharmacy that is being put out of business by external forces, and it has nothing to do with the successful provision of patient care," Joel said.
Jole said his grandfather was a pharmacist beginning in the early part of the 20th century and his mother was among the first 50 female pharmacists in Kentucky.
About 25 years ago, Joel said, he, his wife Sandy Thornbury and brother David Thornbury opened the pharmacy in the Nova Complex in the wake of the closing of a pharmacy in Castlewood, Virginia.
NOVA's difference, Joel said, was in how it reflected his philosophies on pharmacy.
"I gave people a place they could source pharmacist medications and information without having to worry about being judged or awkward," he said. "The people who got care here got individualized care from day one. I have a lot of people who call me because they know I'll go the extra mile."
Joel said he has provided services not available in the region in many instances, including a compounding pharmacy which opened, but eventually closed, and a vaccination program with some schools in Floyd.
"It's not always economically positive for me to go over and do that, but it's an investment into keeping these kids, who aren't supposed to be in school because they're not vaccine-compliant per state law, in school."
Further, he said, that reflects his belief that pharmacy is not confined to a building, but is instead performed in "more than four walls."
Other services, he said, include offering vaccinations for yellow fever.
"There's a need for it because there's a lot of people who go on mission trips," he said. "The closest place to get it is Lexington."
The closure of NOVA, Joel said, is the result of a perfect storm of circumstances.
Independent pharmacies, he said, are working to compete with non-profit pharmacies which pay non-profit rates but charge the same rates as for-profit businesses. Thornbury said he expects that trend to continue.
Thornbury said the industry is also facing challenges as it negotiates and deals with rates set by insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers.
In many cases, he said, he sells prescription drugs at a loss with a hope that the pharmacy can make it up elsewhere.
"Unless I'm doing 400 to 600 prescriptions a day ... then I'm out," he said.
Volume, he said, is not the goal.
"The travesty with (the closure of) this pharmacy is the fact that I have what they mostly would say is less than average prescription volume, but the focus is on patient care and pharmacist services," he said.
Thornbury said he will continue to offer many services to former NOVA patients through Care More Pharmacy at Dorton, which is also owned by him, his wife and his brother.
"My big heart will just relocate," he said. "A pharmacist in your life just makes your life better."
NOVA will stop filling prescriptions on May 22 and close on May 31. All the patient files will be transferred to Care More Pharmacy at Dorton, which can be reached at, (606) 639-2273, or (606) 432-2274.
