Rising to the Challenge: Hayat Pharmacy
Founder and CEO of Hayat Pharmacy, Hashim Zaibak, PharmD '99, keeps his pharmacies afloat during COVID-19 pandemic
While the COVID-19 pandemic posed an immediate challenge to operations at Hayat Pharmacy, Dr. Hashim Zaibak was laser-focused on ensuring his patients' and staff's safety. This emphasis on protection and education allowed the business to continue serving the community at its eighteen locations during this tumultuous time.
“When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, there was a little bit of initial panic. We had to make a lot of adjustments,” said Dr. Zaibak, PharmD '99, who founded Hayat Pharmacy in 2011. Since then, the pharmacy chain has grown into a 15-store, 150-employee business that serves lower-income areas in Milwaukee. Now, ten years after opening his first pharmacy, Dr. Zaibak was faced with a significant challenge: how can the business continue serving the community while keeping staff and patients safe?
“Many of our customers were not comfortable physically coming into the pharmacy, so we pivoted to curbside service and we also increased the number of deliveries made, requiring us to hire more people for assistance,” Dr. Zaibak reflects. He also notes the impact of the price increase on personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies on his operations. “When the pandemic first started, necessary PPE and cleaning items sharply increased in price, but we were still able to purchase enough masks and hand sanitizer for employees. We were also able to give out 3,000 masks to our community.” Said Dr. Zaibak. His primary strategy to keep the pharmacy chain operational was to keep everyone healthy – and his plan worked.
Dr. Zaibak shared the story of a patient who came to one of Hayat Pharmacy’s locations for a COVID-19 test. The patient had no cell phone number or email address, so when he tested positive for the virus, they had no way to inform him. Dr. Zaibak’s team physically went to the patient’s home to inform him of his COVID-19 status so he could take the proper precautions. “The system is built for the average American with a cell phone or email address, but it’s not built for everyone, like this gentleman. So, we must go the extra mile to make sure all patients are taken care of.”
Going the extra mile is not unusual in pharmacy, especially for independent pharmacy owners. “Whether during times of crisis or calm, independent pharmacies are the safety nets protecting their communities, particularly those situated in rural and underserved areas,” said the National Community Pharmacists Association Chief Executive Officer, B. Douglas Hoey, MBA. According to the NCPA Digest, 60% of rural ZIP codes and 52% of ZIP codes within medically underserved areas has an independent community pharmacy that provides immunizations and other health services. About 77% of community pharmacies serve population areas of 50,000 or fewer.
Hayat Pharmacy exemplifies what these statistics suggest: pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare providers who should be given provider status. “During this pandemic, the nation was able to witness firsthand the critical role pharmacists have played. Pharmacists cannot fill prescriptions from home – we were right there in the community, helping those who needed it right when they needed it. I think this gets us one step closer to provider status.”
In the meantime, Hayat Pharmacy has remained open for business, providing residents in the Milwaukee area with COVID-19 testing and, more recently, the COVID-19 vaccine. “As soon as the vaccine was available to us, we started administering them right away. We recently achieved 1,100 vaccines administered in one day! We’re getting really close to a total of 20,000 vaccines administered.”
Dr. Zaibak’s successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on his business is inspiring, especially to those considering becoming an independent pharmacist. His main bit of advice is for aspiring independent pharmacists to network, be adaptable, and stay connected within the world of independent pharmacists. “At the end of the day, there are so many areas to go into [in pharmacy], so try to get a part-time job at an independent pharmacy or do a few independent pharmacy rotations. I also would advise students to tune in to the NCPA convention – it’s a great learning and networking opportunity,” he advises.
Dr. Zaibak’s strategy, optimism, and commitment to providing excellent care for all Milwaukee residents are why Hayat Pharmacy was able to grow into one of the most significant independent pharmacy operations in the Midwest.