#9 - Crafting New Paths in Community Healthcare with John Jones

Join us as we uncover the inspiring journey of John Jones, a former aspiring rugby league player turned successful pharmacist and dietitian in Newcastle, New South Wales. John's path from sports to healthcare reveals the incredible impact of passion and perseverance. Influenced by his mother's dedication as a pharmacy assistant, John embraced the challenges of becoming an independent pharmacy owner, making financial sacrifices to build a community-focused business. His story is a testament to the power of risk-taking in pursuing meaningful change, demonstrating how dedication to healthcare and trust-building with customers can overcome even the most significant obstacles.

Explore the transformative role of community pharmacies in local healthcare as John shares how Darby Street Pharmacy is revolutionising service delivery. By integrating in-house nurse practitioners, Darcy Street Pharmacy provides immediate, effective medical solutions that ease the burden on emergency services, creating a new standard for personalized care. Amid a shortage of GPs, pharmacies like John's offer accessible healthcare resources, underscoring their evolving importance. Tune in for next week's episode featuring surprise guests, and don't miss out on the innovative approaches discussed here that are redefining the healthcare landscape.

Chapters

• 0:01 Pharmacy Owner Shares Success Secrets
• 9:08 Pharmacy's Role in Community Healthcare
• 13:07 How The Pharmacy Industry Changed
• 17:56 Revolutionising Community Healthcare Together

Transcript

Leon Goltsman: 0:01

Good morning, good afternoon or good evening, wherever you are, and welcome back to this latest and exciting episode of Engaging Conversations, where we don't just talk. We dive deep into meaningful dialogues with inspiring people who are making a difference. I'm your host, leon Goltsman, and today's episode is proudly brought to you by Lake Mac Business Focus, identifying the champions of businesses pushing boundaries into customer service and community impact. Let me share a quick story with you. Picture this I'm darting between meetings, my mind racing with tasks, when I make a quick stop at Darby Street Pharmacy, what was meant to be a simple in and out became something else entirely. From the moment I walked in, I wasn't just another customer. I was welcomed like family.

Leon Goltsman: 0:52

That left me wondering what's the secret sauce behind this place. How does a pharmacy manage to create such a powerful connection with its customers? So I sat down with John Jones, the owner, and it all clicked. Their magic purpose authenticity and treating people like they truly matter, because at Darby Street Pharmacy they do. This isn't just good business. It's a game-changing philosophy, and in today's episode you're going to uncover those secrets, learn some powerful lessons that you can apply to your own business and discover why your relationship with your local pharmacy might just be more important than you've ever realized. Plus, we'll dig deep into what makes Darby Street Pharmacy a true standout. So, without further ado, let's jump into this fascinating conversation with the one and only John Jones and discover what makes this business so extraordinary.

John Jones: 1:47

Hi, yeah, I'm John Jones. I'm a pharmacist and dietitian in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Leon Goltsman: 1:54

And John, how did you first get into the pharmacy industry?

John Jones: 1:58

So my journey into pharmacy started really when I was quite young.

John Jones: 2:02

So my mum, who's from a small coastal town up in Kempsey, used to work as a pharmacy assistant, and so growing up she, I guess, planted the seed about how important pharmacy is in the health of the community.

John Jones: 2:18

I had a little bit of a convoluted journey into the profession, so originally I moved to Newcastle to become a professional rugby league player, so I played with the Knights, never made first grade, but I, fortunately, was good at school, and so whilst playing rugby league I managed to go to university. They didn't offer pharmacy in Newcastle back then, and so, because I'd always been passionate about health, I decided to do nutrition and dietetics, and so I graduated as the dietitian way back when in 2000. And then, after about 10 years of practicing as a dietitian up the coast in Taree, my wife and I decided that it would be a good opportunity to pursue my dream of working as a pharmacist, and so Newcastle offered a Master of Pharmacy program, and so we packed up and moved back down to Newcastle and I spent three years getting the necessary qualifications to become a pharmacist, and so that really was my journey into the profession, and I've always held that belief about pharmacy being a healthcare point and a really integral part of the community. So that's my story about becoming a pharmacist.

Leon Goltsman: 3:35

So you saw an opportunity and you thought, okay, this is it, I'm going to take it.

John Jones: 3:39

Absolutely, and I think you know I worked in a few different pharmacies and, like all things, there's parts that you, you know you take away from the job that you're working in or the place you're working in. You think, yep, I like that. And then there's other parts where you think, yeah, no, that's not for me. And so, fortunately, I've had the opportunity to become a pharmacy owner and so I've been able to say in my own pharmacy, yep, we're not going to do that, we're going to focus on this, and healthcare has really been the focus of my energy, time and the rest of the team. We're about healthcare. We're about making sure that people, when they come into the pharmacy, they feel like they can trust the advice, they can trust the service and professionalism of what we're doing, and so I'm really quite proud of that, and you should be because I went and starting a new business, let alone a pharmacy.

Leon Goltsman: 4:29

There are challenges, but an independent pharmacy has more challenges, especially in regions. How did you overcome them?

John Jones: 4:36

Yeah. So I had some significant challenges to become a pharmacy owner, and my wife and I and my family sort of had to share the sacrifice of that. So I don't come from money, and so to buy a pharmacy is quite a significant investment financially, and so my first pharmacy that I bought in Shortland came up. At the time the pharmacy was not performing very well at all and I had to work in the pharmacy without being paid for about four months, and then I spent my weekends working as a locum pharmacist so we could put food on the table for our family. So it was a very challenging period, however incredibly rewarding, because it's given me the opportunity to be where I am today and to work with some fantastic pharmacists and pharmacy staff.

John Jones: 5:31

And so being an independent pharmacy means that you've you know it has its benefits and downsides. The benefits are that I get to choose the things that we do. Benefits are that I get to choose the things that we do. I'm not dictated by a big corporate um owner to tell me that I have to sell things that I don't believe are relevant or important for the community that I serve, uh, but it means a lot more work putting together things that, uh, you don't, you know, you don't have the expertise in, and so there's a lot of learning and a lot of sort of mistakes that you make in the early days. However, now I feel like we've got the right mix of people helping in our pharmacies to make a difference, and you certainly have a great team and a great bunch of people here.

Leon Goltsman: 6:20

Okay, so one of the patterns that we're noticing is people taking the chance, giving it a go. What do you say to that?

John Jones: 6:28

So, look, one of the things that I guess you have to make sure, when you're taking a chance on starting something or doing something you believe in, is that you've got the right reasons for doing it.

John Jones: 6:39

I think that that helps to provide a steady and stable base for you to manage through the times where things don't work or they don't go right. And if you don't have that um, you know objective, long term and that sense of belief in what you're doing, then it's very hard to stick with it. So if you do believe in something that you you know, an idea or a service, then I think it helps you to get through those times where you know it can be really challenging, to help keep you focused on where you're going, having a sense of purpose Absolutely that's the best word to describe it. If you don't have that sense of purpose, if you don't have that belief in what you're doing, then it does make it really hard to get through those hard times. And I think a sense of genuineness genuineness with the people that you're serving, genuineness with the people you're looking out for and you're working with, so that you can manage to get through those challenges, being authentic Absolutely you have to be, you can't fake it. People see through it.

Leon Goltsman: 7:43

Excellent Now, that's really good advice, and we're noticing that more and more anyone who does well that.

John Jones: 7:52

That that is the key ingredient. Yeah, absolutely. I think if you've got that, yeah, genuineness, that sense of purpose and authenticity about what you're doing, then it does, you know, create all of those key ingredients for success there's something different, different with you guys, and you've just answered it.

John Jones: 8:06

Yeah, when someone comes in, our sort of belief is that the person that we're serving, we would like to think, if it was our brother, if it was sister, mother, daughter, that how would they like to be looked after in the pharmacy? What outcomes would we like to try and help them achieve and to not just say, sorry, we don't stock that, or sorry, that's unavailable. It's going further and saying, okay, how can we help you solve this problem? And if we can't help you solve that problem, then we'll try and take steps, we'll contact your healthcare provider, your prescriber, to find a solution so that you manage to get a good outcome. And I think that often these days, and particularly after COVID, everyone's become very exhausted. It certainly was a very tiring period during healthcare, and so we've, I guess, tried to reinvigorate ourselves about making sure that, you know, the person who is coming into the pharmacy is the centre of what we're doing, and so we want to make sure that they feel a sense of service from us and that they're being cared for.

Leon Goltsman: 9:08

So, speaking of service, what do you think the most valuable service or benefit your pharmacy provides to the local community?

John Jones: 9:15

I think that it is about providing a complete care solution to someone's health problem when they come into the pharmacy. We're not just looking at it from a one-dimensional transaction. So you come in, you've got a prescription sorry, we don't have that. That's not how we operate and that is absolutely something that I will not have. Our team sort of say to people what can we do? How can we help you solve it? And if we can't, then we'll try and point you in the right direction to fix the problem. And I think that's what people want and need and what's missing in a lot of pharmacy offerings these days.

Leon Goltsman: 9:50

So, John, from your experience, what do people often overlook or misunderstand about the role of community pharmacies?

John Jones: 9:57

I think that there has been certainly particularly with some larger brand big box pharmacies that disconnect from the patient's healthcare In regional areas. The pharmacist is the key healthcare professional in many of those towns, and so their knowledge. We are experts in medicine and so that means that when you go into a pharmacy you can expect the pharmacist to help with that advice and support around taking your medication. If something's not working, then helping you to reach out to your prescriber and liaising with the team. I think that we provide a very important role as a bit of a safety net for people. So when people transition between different health care providers, hospital gp we're in the middle, helping to make sure that the person is getting the right medication at the right time and that they're responding to treatment appropriately, and so that's where we fit in and do an incredible job in the healthcare space.

Leon Goltsman: 10:58

So John, what advice would you give to someone interested in starting their own business, especially an independent pharmacy?

John Jones: 11:07

I think that part of it is to make sure that you get around your local teammates in business. Become mates with the cafe owner, become mates with the local GP, make sure that you're creating relationships with those people and genuinely offer to help. I've reached out and I guess it's a focus for us to reach out to your local community groups. Where can I help provide a solution? If I can help in my local Surf Life Saving Club, the rugby league team, the women's shelter, so that you're making a difference into the community that you're living and working in. So that's really one of the key parts.

John Jones: 11:50

And then, as I said before, finding solutions. How can I help? What solution can I offer to a to a problem that we have in the area that you live? One of the things that we did in the pharmacy in Shoreland was provide a long-acting injectable buprenorphine service, which is for people with opioid addiction, and it has been one of the most successful programs that we've had, where you're making a profound difference to the lives of people, where they're able to get back into work, their social function's improving, they're able to care for their family. They are immensely important in the communities that we, we live and serve in, and so I think, if you've got that, you know those glasses and looking from that lens of where can you offer a solution to help the community that you're part of?

Leon Goltsman: 12:42

and and businesses do have a responsibility to help and reach out to those who need, and obviously we're finding that this is a common denominator in every company, every business that does well. When you ask them what their secret of their success is, it's always going back to serving the community.

John Jones: 13:01

Yeah, how can I help? What difference can I make? Ask yourself that question how can I make a difference in this situation? So, john, how has the pharmacy industry changed since you first started? On GPs and difficulty accessing healthcare services, pharmacies now aiming up in that space of providing healthcare services to the community?

John Jones: 13:37

I think the best example was during COVID, when we were asked to become vaccinators for COVID vaccine and, fortunately for us, as independent pharmacy owners, we are very agile.

John Jones: 13:50

We are very good at finding solutions for problems and doing it quickly, and so we were able to mobilize the pharmacy industry within an incredibly short timeframe to vaccinate millions of Australians. And so during the next 10 years, what we're seeing is a reduction in GPs available to the community, and so how, as pharmacists, how as other allied health professionals, can we help solve the problem of ensuring that Australians have got access to really good, high quality healthcare? We're very good at following procedures, we're very good at providing solutions for people, and so I think what we will see in the next 10 years, and what we're starting to deliver here, are healthcare-focused services in pharmacy, which is incredibly rewarding for us. That's why we studied, that's why we went to university, and so it's a fantastic opportunity where we get to put those two things together, where we can put our hat on as a business owner, but also as a healthcare professional in the town that we serve.

Leon Goltsman: 14:59

I was going to ask you how you can tell us about examples of where pharmacies made a difference, and you certainly answered that thoroughly. Is there anything else you'd like to add to that?

John Jones: 15:10

Wherever you are as a healthcare consumer, develop a strong relationship with your pharmacist. We're a wealth of knowledge. We've got a huge range of skills that you can utilise to help reduce the burden on other healthcare spaces to enable access for someone else who needs it. So reach out to your pharmacist if you've got a minor injury or ailment and most times we'll help you find a solution.

Leon Goltsman: 15:42

So for anybody in the Newcastle area or Lake Macquarie that want to get in contact with you what's the best way?

John Jones: 15:49

So we've got three pharmacies one in Shortland, one in Darby Street and Caves Beach. So if you reach out to us on our website or on Facebook, then you'll be able to get in contact with one of the team. And what's the website address? So it's Darby.

Leon Goltsman: 16:08

Excellent Darby. Excellent Darby, and even if you don't need them right now, you should check it out anyway. Pretty good people. I'll pay you for that one later. So, john, look, I realise your time is so precious and I could see the queue of people lining up. Look, john, finally, what's the one message you'd like the listeners to take away about your pharmacy? Not? What's the one message you'd like the listeners to take away about your pharmacy, not just Darby Street?

John Jones: 16:33

Pharmacy, but but our conversation. That pharmacy can provide a complete care solution to your health and I think that making sure that you have a good relationship with the pharmacist and certainly here is is the way to go and John.

Leon Goltsman: 16:48

Is there anything else that you'd like to say that I may have missed?

John Jones: 16:51

We're going to be implementing a new model here where we have a nurse practitioner working in the pharmacy, and so this, for us, is going to be a bit of a game changer moving forward so that we are able to provide a wider solution to your healthcare problem. Nurse practitioners can prescribe in the pharmacy, and so what we're looking at doing is working with the GPs, working with the patient, having the nurse practitioner here so that we're reducing the demand on ambulance, accident and emergency, so that if you come with an issue, we can solve it. We will do it, so that you're not going to be stuck in a waiting room at accident and emergency and then liaising with your GP to make sure that you get good follow-up.

Leon Goltsman: 17:42

John, thank you so much for your time. Look, I really appreciate it. I know how busy you and the team are and I'm really grateful that you made the time for us. Great Thanks, leon. It's been my pleasure, and that's a wrap. What a fantastic conversation that was.

Leon Goltsman: 17:56

John is a shining example of how a business can truly make a difference in the community, not just by offering a service, but by solving real problems. Darby Street Pharmacy is doing something revolutionary with their in-house nurse practitioners, reducing the strain on ambulance services and emergency rooms while providing quick, effective solutions. They're not just filling prescriptions, they're redefining what personalized care means and stepping up as key healthcare professionals who deeply understand their purpose. Next week, I'm thrilled to bring you another special episode with some pleasant surprises and very special guests you won't want to miss. And, as always, if you have any questions for John or myself or any of the other previous guests, just check out the show notes for details on how to get in touch. I'm Leon Goltsman and I look forward to connecting with you again next week. Till then, stay engaged, stay connected and let's continue making a difference together.