1st pharmacy opens in Ross Bridge
Residents of Ross Bridge now have a local pharmacy close to home.
Ross Bridge Pharmacy had its soft opening on April 19 before a grand opening in May. This is the first pharmacy to open in the Ross Bridge community and is located across from the clock tower at the main entrance.
Owner Patrick Devereux is a pharmacist and president of the parent corporation, Family Medical Services. The flagship store is in Bessemer, along with other locations in Montevallo and Jasper. Devereux works full-time at the Bessemer location.
Having worked with Zach Wood at the Bessemer location for almost seven years, they decided in 2017 to open a location in Ross Bridge. Devereux knew Wood was the perfect pharmacist to manage the Ross Bridge location, as he lives there and is in touch with the community’s needs.
“Ross Bridge is a very different demographic than our other three stores,” Devereux said. “This is our first foray into an independent pharmacy with a younger patient population. We carry things like pool items and diapers, so customers don’t have to go all the way down Ross Bridge Parkway to get them. We are set up different than other stores to have more selection of convenience items for young families.”
In addition to Wood, there is one full-time employee at the pharmacy, along with other support staff that come in as needed. They also have two pharmacy students they rotate in to fill gaps.
Wood said the response from the community has been great, and they already have over 850 new patients in their database.
Devereux said with there being so many independent pharmacies in the area, there is no reason for anyone in the city of Hoover to have to go to a chain pharmacy unless their insurance makes them. Patients’ co-pays are usually standardized and would be the same at a chain pharmacy as at an independent pharmacy.
“With non-insurance prescriptions, we can compete,” he said. “When Zach fills a prescription, he knows what we can sell it for. Most chains don’t do that. Independent pharmacies have more flexibility to work with patients on prices when not using insurance because we know what we can sell a drug for.”
Something that makes Ross Bridge Pharmacy different is the way they communicate with their customers. Devereux said this is more than a business for them and they treat their customers like family.
“We communicate proactively with our patients and counsel them on all new prescriptions,” he said. “If the patient has not had it before, they will meet with the pharmacist about it no matter what. We also reach out to them the next day to see if they are having any problems.”
Prescription compounding is available, as well as vet compounding for animals. They offer flavoring for kids’ liquid prescriptions and let them try out lollipops of the flavors to find the one they like.
An easy prescription transfer process is available on their website, rossbridgepharmacy.com, and they offer free delivery throughout the Ross Bridge community.
Ross Bridge Pharmacy is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.