Bimal Das — Nanticoke Pharmacy, Seaford, DE
Bimal Das started as a retail pharmacist in 2003 and spent most of his career working in national and regional chain pharmacies. In 2011, he finally reached a point where he’d “had enough of trying to care for people in an environment where business issues seemed to come ahead of the patients.”
So Bimal started researching the idea of building his own pharmacy. For him, the key was finding the right location: one in a community that would really benefit from the specialized care a local community pharmacy provides.
“When I found this location, I was confident I could build a successful pharmacy here. It was an old friend who worked with McKesson that recommended I check out RxOwnership, and that turned out to be a real blessing for me.”
Bimal initially started talking to banks about financing, but the banks weren’t willing to invest. They said they’d help finance his business once it was up and running, but they would not finance building it. When he showed his plans and financials to RxOwnership, the response was very different. They knew the background and financing required for start-up pharmacies and worked with McKesson Finance to extend and qualify his loan.
“Through RxOwnership, McKesson provided all the help I needed — from all the necessary paperwork, to store design, to inventory setup. They even helped me to identify physicians supporting my community with their Physician Outreach Program.”
Bimal had a clear vision of exactly what he wanted. Because RxOwnership understood him and his business, he didn’t have to compromise on a thing. The added assistance from Health Mart turned his dream into reality, and he was able to open his store with the look he had imagined.
“I could not be happier,” says Bimal. “The Health Mart logo immediately gave my store the trust that comes with being part of a successful, respected brand. Health Mart gave me a chance to build new relationships with the customers that were starting to come through my door. I’m now able to help people live better, be healthier and save money every day.”
Bimal’s Nanticoke Pharmacy is now a center point in the community. Business is great. Everything is positive. His research efforts helped in determining a good area that was lacking the personalized care of an independent pharmacy.
Bimal is thinking about building another pharmacy, and he’s recommending RxOwnership and Health Mart to his friends. “I can’t wait to go to my pharmacy every morning. I feel like the sky’s the limit! RxOwnership gave me the resources, the power and the confidence I needed to do it my way. Most important — they gave me peace of mind.”
Overall, Bimal’s best advice for anyone interested in starting their own pharmacy: “If you believe in your approach, want to give better service, and it comes from your heart, people will come to you and it’ll work. That, and location, location, location.”
