Matt Hubble, RPh

Pharmacy Manager

West Lakes Hy-Vee Pharmacy

West Des Moines, Iowa

“On the bleeding edge”, is how Matt Hubble, pharmacy manager for West Lakes Hy-Vee in West Des Moines, Iowa describes his practice. It has been said that pioneers get the arrows and settlers get the land. Matt managed to do both, staying on that “bleeding edge” and being profitable while building his ideal patient care practice for the last five years. The first services provided by the pharmacy were blood glucose testing and cholesterol panels. Matt says, “The glucose screens were the easiest because there was virtually no cost in it for us.” The pharmacy used blood glucose meters and test strips that had been donated by the meter companies. To get the word out about their services while working out the kinks in the system Matt’s store offered free public glucose screenings and invited customers and employees alike to participate. Rather than actively marketing in the beginning the business grew simply by word of mouth. Over the following years West Lakes Hy-Vee Pharmacy added education services in diabetes and wellness. Eventually Matt sat down with his store director and had a discussion about moving these services off site to area businesses. The store director, “recognizes that there is an added value to these services not only financially but customer loyalty as well.” As a result of that discussion the Wellness Development program grew.

With the support of Hy-Vee Corporation, a mid-west region grocery-pharmacy chain, Matt’s store now offers testing for cholesterol, glucose, liver function, bone density, and metabolism. His team of pharmacists provide a wide range of health and wellness programs including weight management (in conjunction with a dietician), smoking cessation, diabetes and asthma counseling.

Matt says that not all businesses are accepting of pharmacists in this role, some are still asking “is it worth paying for?” The fact that each year Matt’s team mobilizes to provide flu vaccines for about 40 area businesses, and that patients are now paying out-of-pocket for these services shows the answer to be a resounding “yes” from the Des Moines community.

Currently about sixty percent of Matt’s time is dedicated to patient care. His goal is to have a one hundred percent patient care practice within five to six years. Matt is certainly on the right track as he continues to advance his practice while advancing his education. He is scheduled to complete his Doctor of Pharmacy coursework in spring 2006. To learn more about Matt’s practice at the West Lakes Hy-Vee in West Des Moines, Iowa visit Hy-Vee, or contact us at deltarx@drake.edu.

Entrepreneurial Leadership Analysis:

1. Developing the concept is the second step in the entrepreneurial process. What new services did Matt offer? What new markets did he enter?

The venture included not only new educational services but also new testing options for patients. Before testing services can be offered, pharmacies need to receive a CLIA waiver. The waiver allows the pharmacist to test blood glucose, cholesterol, and other tests involving body fluids. Matt feels that one of the reasons patients come to him for testing is because it is convenient and their results are almost immediate, as compared to making an appointment and waiting for the results at a traditional hospital laboratory. The educational and health screening services are valuable for patients who are taking charge of their own health and are willing to pay out-of-pocket for additional services and for employers who want to ensure there patients are receiving appropriate health screenings. With the support of his store director, Matt took his services beyond the people who walk into the pharmacy and out to the business community by marketing to and providing services through local employers.

2. Once a new venture has begun the entrepreneur must implement and manage the concept. What markers has Matt used to monitor his performance?

A primary measurement for Matt is the percent of his time spent away from dispensing on patient care services. He currently spends sixty percent of his time on patient care, his goal is to spend one hundred percent of his time in that area. Another measure of performance is the number of employers contracting the services of the pharmacy for immunizations and health screenings. Other markers could include revenue from services, number of new patients to the pharmacy for services, number of current patients who utilize the services and number of physicians referring patients to the pharmacy.