What began as a plan to save money while in college turned into a rewarding career that Alec G. Bear, Pharm.D., never saw coming. 

Like many college students, the now pharmacist at CVS #07147 in Madison, Wisconsin, had several interests and considered career paths in fields like radio broadcasting, business, chemistry, and even meteorology. It wasn’t until he stayed with his grandparents to save some money for his undergraduate education that he found his true calling: pharmacy.

“I liked learning about the medications they were taking at the time,” Dr. Bear recalls. “I got to learn a lot from them.”

While Dr. Bear says he never could have predicted the path he ultimately would take, he has since turned his interest in learning about medications and his desire to help others into a serendipitous career choice. He has spent his time as a pharmacist performing community outreach, whether it was through counseling patients within the walls of his pharmacy or visiting nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic to administer vaccines.

Dr. Bear recently transferred to the Madison store from CVS #10550 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he served as a pharmacy manager for nearly a year. His goal is to take on the role of pharmacy manager once again in the Madison area while continuing to go that extra mile for his customers with savings, prescription education, and more. 

It’s that innate desire to help others that frequently motivates him to do what he can to address one of the most prevalent patient concerns in the pharmacy industry: the affordability of medications. “People have gotten a little tighter with their spending, sometimes on medications,” he says. ”I try to step into that role and help them … have a better life overall, whether that’s saving money or being healthier.”

Helping patients save often begins with checking the price of a prescription before the customer ever arrives at the pharmacy counter. “If it’s something that they can get cheaper over the counter or if they have an alternative option, Dr. Bear says, “then I always try to steer them that route.”

Dr. Bear says taking a few minutes to explore savings options can not only help a patient afford an otherwise unaffordable medication, but it can also improve patient-pharmacist relationships.

“I tell my staff that if a patient asks about the price, let’s take 30 seconds or a minute to see if we can look up something for them and help them,” he says. “I don’t think that’s a hard thing to necessarily do, and your patients will appreciate it more. They’ll respect you more for it.”

While Dr. Bear says it’s easy to feel rushed in today’s pharmacy environment, he wants to ensure his patients benefit from his care. It’s this focus on exceptional service—along with many others—that led to him being named a 2023 Best of the Best Pharmacy Award winner. We spoke with Dr. Bear about why he cares so much about patients and what he does to go the extra mile.

What does a typical day at the pharmacy look like for you?

I do a little bit of everything. Being a good pharmacist is being the utility person who can bounce around, answering phone calls, taking the time to check prescriptions, and helping out up front, too. It’s valuable to patients when they see the pharmacist up front and can talk directly to them. It’s easy to get in a rush, to get stuck verifying prescriptions all day long, but I like taking the time to learn from patients.

Why is it important to have those patient interactions?

I try to treat each person who walks in like I would my grandparents. I like to take the time with them because you can learn a lot. 

An easy way to start off conversations is when I notice things about people, such as what they are wearing. I may end up talking about National Parks with customers because they’re wearing a National Parks shirt or hat. It’s a great way for me to be able to open up a conversation and get to know the patient better. 

I try to make sure that patients feel open to have conversations with me. That way, the next time they come in, they’ll remember me, they’ll smile and know that I care and am interested in their lives. It makes me feel more valued at the end of my day when I learned something about someone and got to take care of them.

How do you help educate customers about their medications?

Sometimes, I think patients feel nervous talking with the pharmacist about a new medication or they can feel rushed. I make sure I can relate to them in some way to get those guards down. That way they’re much more open to being honest with me about what they know and don’t know about their medication. Sometimes they don’t even know why they’re taking it! When I learn more, I can say, “Well, maybe this would be a cheaper option for you or a better option for you if you wanted to talk with the doctor before picking it up.”

Can you share an example of how going the extra mile impacted a patient?

When I first started at the CVS in Eau Claire, we had a patient who was a little tougher on the staff. One day, I went to help him and he was wearing a bright yellow floral shirt, so I said to him, “Hey, I really like that shirt. That’s really cool.” He ends up telling me the shirt is from this specific movie, and I said to him, “Oh, I haven’t actually seen that movie.” 

He was picking up a prescription that was backordered, so I found a pharmacy to transfer it to, and he just greatly appreciated it. He was so thankful. And ever since, he’s just been the nicest patient you could possibly imagine. And, he ended up bringing in the movie for me two days later. 

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

My staff. I try to take care of the techs and the other pharmacists I work with. I try to help them in whatever capacity I can so that we can all enjoy our days better. The positivity you can bring in reflects on the store. When you have that team mentality, they can pick you up, too. 

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your job as a pharmacist?

A lot of people look at the profession and think we’re just putting the tablets or capsules in a bottle and sending them on their way. I like to let people know that we have a lot of information about their prescriptions and we’re an easy access point for them to ask questions.

You can provide valuable information to patients and they appreciate that. I don’t know that I’ve met anyone who doesn’t appreciate you taking the time to explain the medications they’re taking. 

What does this award mean to you?

It means a lot. Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in the day-to-day job, but this makes me feel good about the path that I am on. If my patients like me and respect me, and if they are willing to nominate me for an award like this, then it tells me that I’m doing something right when helping people.