And you shall make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
Exodus 30:25
Those words from the King James Version of the Bible — painted large on a wall of Guy’s Medical Center Pharmacy by Keith Guy’s niece, Gretchen Felder — are a daily affirmation of how Guy runs his business and conducts his life.
“We have a Christian atmosphere here,” said Guy, who owns Medical Center Pharmacy; Guy’s Innovative Pharmacy, for compounding drugs; and Southwest Discount Drugs in Pike Center Mart in McComb.
His business mission station reflects that.
“It is the mission of Guy’s Innovative Pharmacy Services to provide outstanding customer service and products that astonish our clients and distinguish us within the pharmacy and health care industry. The management and staff ... shall perceive its efforts as a form of ministry to others in the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Since receiving his pharmacy degree at the University of Mississippi more than 30 years ago, he’s been working toward a goal of giving his customers the best pharmaceutical health care he can.
He began in the business on April 1, 1976, at the old Howard Brothers Pharmacy. Though his business has changed throughout the years, mirroring multiple national health care trends, Guy’s mission of healing is one he takes seriously and continues to work toward.
“I want to give the gift of health,” Guy said, adding jokingly that if his work is successful for patients, “I might be able to put myself out of business.”
Guy believes the biggest thing customers can do is strive to be the healthiest people they can be.
“We’ve got to get into some kind of prevention,” he said.
He practices what he preaches, taking about multiple supplements daily.
Guy’s stocks scores of supplemental products — from vitamins, to fish oil and just about anything in between. He even stocks shampoo for psoriasis. Some of the products are made in-house, but most Guy’s products are prepared at Douglas Laboratories.
Vitamin supplements are good sellers, Guy said, noting that physicians are realizing the benefits of Vitamin D. He said continuous research shows that Vitamin D helps prevent colon, breast and prostate cancer, and it helps in bone development. Sunlight is a natural source of Vitamin D.
“I’ve filled more prescriptions for Vitamin D and sold more in the past two years than in 30 years,” he said. “Doctors are coming around. Simple things like this are part of my mission to get the word out.”
Fish oil supplements also are beneficial. Doctors routinely prescribe them for patients with high cholesterol.
“Fish oil is so good for you,” he said.
Pharmaceutical grade natural supplements are a way to maintain good health, especially, he said, as people are living longer.
“The key factor there is quality of supplements,” he said.
And too many people, he said, have lifestyles that cause bad health. Diabetes is one example of a disease brought on too often by obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, and the number of cases in the state and nation is growing.
Guy is a compounding pharmacist, which means he spends a lot of time researching the best ways to help patients. In a word, it’s specialized pharmacy — providing the right dose of medicine in often alternative forms for patients.
For instance, patients who can’t swallow large pills must find another way to get the medicine they need. Guy’s Innovative Pharmacy can solve the problem, often through a topical cream, salve or gel.
He makes compounding medicines for dentists who prescribe specially prepared toothpaste, medicated lollipops for children who dislike medicine in liquid form, special eye drops or topical gels and other unique ways to get medicine where it’s needed. He’s made frozen flavor pops, developed lip balm, even medicated deodorant.
“We have a unique practice, and we can help folks in a lot of ways.”
He depends on his compounding staff, including chief tech Mary Moore, who’s been with Guy for more than 20 years. Other techs are Clay Campbell, Stephanie Everett and Betsy Williams. Compliance officer is Shelia Smith. At Guy’s Emily Irving is the pharmacist.
Before he even graduated from pharmacy school at the University of Mississippi, Guy drifted toward the area of compounding pharmacy.
“I fell in love with it in pharmacy school,” he said, adding that he could have chosen to be a doctor, but it wasn’t the right fit. “I was sitting in class one day thinking, ‘I love this.’ ”
Guy takes a lot of pride in his products, and he enjoys the challenges that compounding pharmacy gives him.
“What I enjoy about my job is the research — wound care, for example,” he said.
Guy also has a bit of the teaching bug in him. It’s something he said he’d love to do, and that’s why he conducts seminars. One he has coming up is on Jan. 10 for fibromyalgia, a hard-to-diagnose condition that has confounded physicians and patients for years.
Guy’s business has grown dramatically since 1976. He now employs 31 fulltime and part time employees. But he, too, felt the lash of the economic downturn.
“The recession started for me in fall 2007 and 2008. It really hurt,” he said, adding that it continued into 2009. “Those were very tough years, but our sales are back up. “People have adjusted and we help to do anything and everything we can,” he said.
Some prescriptions are as low as $3.95, beating the $4 drugs at big box stores.
“My technicians are so good at trying to get things covered (for clients through insurance), with coupons from drug companies, etc.,” he said. “We’ve adjusted to helping folks.”
Guy depends on his staff to be helpful and loyal.
One woman in particular, Jean Gatlin, has been Guy’s bookkeeper from day one.
“She’s been with us all these years,” Guy said. “Things were a lot simpler then.”
Dennis Lea, the pharmacist at Southwest Discount Drugs in Pike Center Mart, has been with Guy for 27 years, and is a dedicated employee upon whom Guy depends to run that pharmacy efficiently.
“He’s just a fixture,” Guy said, adding that Lea has a great rapport with his customers.
Continued research and expansion of products, along with personal, caring service by his staff, are the hallmark of Keith Guy’s businesses.
He remembers one mother whose mentally handicapped son was on mellaril to treat schizophrenia and had a reaction to the generic drug. Guy said he went to the product to look at its filler. Through his compounding lab, Guy changed the filler and the patient was able to withstand the drug.
The mother, told Guy, “You gave back my son.”
Such moments are what keep Guy going.
