Who would have thought the little corner drugstore and
soda fountain that Guy Wilson, Sr. started in 1936
would become one of the leading healthcare providers in
Tennessee?
From humble beginnings on Main Street in downtown
Johnson City, Wilson Pharmacy now has 4 divisions and
100 plus employees, serving 4 states and thousands of
customers.
"Everything we do is based on serving the customer better
than anyone else." states Guy Wilson, Jr., second generation
leader of this large and growing local company.
"My father was committed to helping people, whether it
was explaining to them how to take their prescription, or
serving up a really great soda fountain treat. From the
time I started as a Soda Jerk, to becoming a Registered
Pharmacist, to leading the company, I never forgot my
father's concern for giving our customers the best values
and caring service anywhere."
Wilson Pharmacy Retail Division is still the backbone
of this multi-faceted business. The Wilson Pharmacies in
Johnson City, Kingsport and Boones Creek specialize in
hard-to-find medications and often receive customer
referrals from other pharmacies. They have a commitment
to servicing patients with special needs, and are
known as the pharmacy that can best handle complicated
cases. They believe most people are looking for fair
prices, fast turnaround, and personalized consulting from
caring, qualified pharmacists. A pharmacist is always
available for consultation on each and every prescription
filled.
Wilson Pharmacy might very well have maintained its
status through the years as simply the leading local drugstore;
however, Guy Wilson, Jr. has acted on numerous
opportunities to expand and diversify the business. This
diversity has allowed the company to maintain its growth
and independence and utilize its resources more effectively.
The business expanded beyond the traditional retail
pharmacy services in the 1970's when Dr. Wilson identified
an opportunity to service nursing homes. From
this opportunity came the Pharmacy Network Services,
Inc. Division of Wilson Pharmacy, which now provides
medication services to more than 40 institutional and
long-term care facilities. PNS focuses on reducing the
number of medications used by the elderly population,
where duplication of therapy and medication interactions
are common. The PNS division utilizes packaging
technology that is proven to be the safest and most effective
means of reducing medication errors.
The Infusion Division was started during the
1980's, and provides home Intravenous and Enteral feeding
products and services to residents within an 80-mile
radius of Wilson Pharmacy's corporate office in Johnson
City.
Clinical Management Concepts, Inc. is a
Wilson Pharmacy company that helps self-insured and
other employers manage their employee drug benefit
costs, quality of life, and improves employee productivity.
CMC programs apply extensive experience in clinical
oversight of medication utilization, health and safety
assessments and wellness education and are controlled
through a proprietary software program developed by
Wilson.
Today, the soda fountain is gone, but modern technology
is combined with old time service, enabling Wilson
Pharmacy to fill thousands of prescriptions every day.
Their combination of service and value has enabled them
to grow into a diversified, multi-million dollar corporation
that is established in the pharmacy industry as a forerunner
for use of technology in the provision of healthcare.
Guy Wilson feels that if the company continues its philosophy
of blending clinical skills, business management
skills, and information technology, Wilson Pharmacy
will continue to prosper and will provide long-term
employment opportunities for its employees and their
families.
The Wilson family believes in giving back to our community.
The Wilsons have been leaders in promoting the
Tri-Cities area through the Chamber of Commerce,
ETSU, and a number of other civic organizations. The
Wilson leadership team is encouraged to participate in
community activities. Wilson's team has given hundreds
of hours and thousands of dollars to help in the effort to
establish a College of Pharmacy at ETSU. Wilson
Pharmacy is also involved in several University Pharmacy
Residency programs. Wilson management works with
the colleges to employ pharmacy residents and ensure the
pharmacy staffing needs of our community.