The Total Health Care pharmacy opened its doors Wednesday at 825 S. Cable Road in Lima, the site of the one-time Leahy Family Pharmacy. Pictured, from left, are co-owners Marc Sweeney and Debra Parker; pharmacist Angela Trent, and co-owners Tonya Dauterman and John Stanovich.
J Swygart | The Lima News
LIMA — A new pharmacy opened its doors in Lima on Wednesday with the goal of returning to the days of a more personal relationship between health care providers and the patients they serve.
As national chain stores have come to dominate the way medications and services are dispensed, the goal of the Total Health Care pharmacy “is to bring a community pharmacy back to Lima to better serve patients,” said co-owner John Stanovich.
The business was the site of a ribbon-cutting ceremony conducted by the Lima Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning. Located at 825 S. Cable Road, the pharmacy is located in a building which for years housed a pharmacy operated by Dr. William Leahy, whose practice remains next door.
The Total Health Care venture is a “free-standing pharmacy that seeks to create a high-quality care model that includes some enhancements from traditional pharmacies,” said co-owner Marc Sweeney. Those innovations, he said, include new technology that allows pharmacists to monitor patients’ vital signs remotely and also a variety of therapy medications and consultations about their use and effectiveness.
Stanovich, who is retired from the Colleges of Pharmacy at both Ohio Northern University and the University of Findlay, said Total Health Care will offer a holistic approach to better health, combining the filling of prescriptions and the sale of traditional pharmaceutical products but also helping customers better understand the role healthy living plays in a person’s overall well-being.
“Pharmacists and physicians have always been separated in the services they provide, which often leads to a breakdown in communication. The needs of the patient often go unmet because of that lack of communication,” said Stanovich.
Co-owner Tonya Dauterman said a goal of the new facility is to “cure patient inertia” and help those patients make changes in their health goals as necessary. Fellow owner Debra Parker said simply bringing an “independent-type feeling” to the business is important to earning patients’ trust.
Pharmacist Angela Trent said she is excited to bring personalized care to her hometown of Lima. She will be at the site from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to meet the needs of customers.
“Angie is an integral part of our patient care,” said Stanovich.
She may be reached by calling 567-289-6734.
Sweeney believes customers will come to appreciate the personal, one-on-one service “where the pharmacist knows your name” that will be featured at the new business.
“Our focus is to bring new innovative cost-effective health care to all through individualized, comprehensive care,” he said.
