Days before New England Pharmacy & Wellness opened, owner Sepideh Amirifeli was already fulfilling prescriptions and getting to know patients.
The independent pharmacy opened Thursday at 1655 Beacon Street in Washington Square, bucking a national trend. Nationwide, nearly one in three pharmacies have closed since 2010.
Amirifeli, who lives in Brookline and goes by the name “Dr. Sepi,” opened the pharmacy as an antidote to chain pharmacies where service can feel less personal
“We don’t want people waiting to get their medication in the line for hours,” she said. “I decided, what if I have my own place so I can help people exactly to their needs and consult with them properly?”
The store’s opening harks back to a pre-2000 era, when independent pharmacies dotted every neighborhood. Nowadays, independent pharmacies make up just over a third of retail pharmacies in the country but collectively fill only around 20% of all retail prescriptions nationwide.
Amirifeli, who was a Walgreens pharmacist for five years, said the volume of customers there made for long wait times and a pressured pharmacist, which made it difficult for patients to ask questions. Once, she said, a woman waited in line for over half an hour – not to pick up a prescription, but just to ask about her husband’s weight gain after taking a medication.
“Over there, the system is crowded … one pharmacist has to work the whole shift, even if we have 400 patients,” Amirifeli said. “Here, we’re going to provide health care to people.”
At her pharmacy, she said, patients can have more one-on-one time with the pharmacist, either by appointment or whenever they stop by.
Amirifeli said pharmacists can play a huge role in health care. Besides filling prescriptions and giving vaccinations, she said, pharmacists can teach patients how to use their medications, talk about side effects, give advice on over-the-counter drugs, and guide patients to see a doctor.
“I can say, OK, you’re taking this medication,” Amirifeli said. “You should take this vitamin. Or, you have to take this medication in this specific way in order for it to be effective. Or, you want to take this medication in the morning – you don’t want to wake up so many times at night to use the bathroom.”
New England Pharmacy & Wellness owner Sepideh Amirifeli. Photo by Claire Law
Amirifeli, who grew up in Iran, has experience both as a physician and a pharmacist. She was a doctor in Tehran and then in England, she said, before becoming a researcher at Brigham and Women’s hospital. Then, she worked as a fellow at Tufts Medical Center doing research in pediatric neurology, before going back to school to become a pharmacist.
For now, Amirifeli is the sole pharmacist working alongside two pharmacy technicians. If needed, she said, she will hire another pharmacist so that she would still be able to provide personalized experience.
Elsa Chulvis-Avalo, one of the pharmacy technicians, said Amirifeli is the most well-informed pharmacist she’s ever met.
“Once she’s focused on something, she’s not going to stop until it’s done,” Chulvis-Avalo said. “It’s a great inspiration to be around people like that.”
Chulvis-Avalo said she’s excited to be working at a new business, especially one where she has more time to get to know patients. It’s a stark difference from her previous jobs at Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital – fast-paced environments where she mainly focused on dropping off medication without much interaction with the patients.
“I hit the jackpot,” Chulvis-Avalo said. “It’s like a new family, and you grow together … I’m excited.”
The store will host a grand opening April 29 that will include food, a $100 raffle, branded mugs and tote bag giveaways, and a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Amirifeli’s 14-year-old son, Amir, hung out at the store for a few hours Saturday, giving suggestions on what she should purchase for the store – like a little stand to display her business cards on the counter or a hopscotch rug for kids.
Brookline resident Sarah Coggan, who picked up a prescription last week said Amirifeli was welcoming and asked Coggan what items she would want the pharmacy to stock.
“When it comes to something like a pharmacy, it is part of how you take care of yourself, so I think having a good relationship with the pharmacy is important,” Coggan said. “It’s not a chain, so the money that people spend there will go back into the community.”
This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.