Palms Pharmacy — New Tampa’s Neighborhood Pharmacy

Dr. Shahida Choudhry (front) and her friendly, professional staff at Palms Pharmacy in Tampa Palms can match or beat chain pharmacy prices and provide on-site compounding and old-time customer service. (Photos by Charmaine George)

James Kist says he truly enjoys walking into the Palms Pharmacy in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, just south of the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit off I-75.

So much so, that when he was recently asked if he wanted a 30-day supply of his prescription or a 90-day supply, he says he would take the 30-day supply so he could come back more often.

“It’s such a pleasure walking in the door and being called by your first name,” Kist says.

That’s exactly what owner and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Shahida Choudhry envisioned when she opened Palms Pharmacy nearly seven years ago.

Dr. Choudhry was determined to create a place that felt different from a typical chain pharmacy, a place where she knew her customers by name and gave them specialized, concierge service — like what they would have expected from a neighborhood pharmacy decades ago.

Kist says he knows those neighborhood pharmacies better than most.

“My father had a retail drug store for 50 years, so I’m used to personalized service,” says Kist, a local CPA who has served New Tampa for the past three decades. “At Palms Pharmacy, they are professional and truly care about you.”

He remembers a time he asked a question, got an answer and left, thinking the conversation was over. An hour later, his phone rang and the pharmacist was providing additional details she had researched after he left.

As a CPA, Kist says he has wondered, “How do they make any money? I’m surprised at how low the prices are.”

He says the service is so excellent, he would gladly pay more for his prescriptions and other products, but that’s not necessary at Palms Pharmacy.

Dr. Choudhry says that’s the kind of service her customers have come to expect. If they have a problem, she and her staff will work to find ways to solve it.

For example, in the wake of post-Covid production and other supply issues (and other factors), some medications have become very hard to come by.

She says for some patients, she often can help them find medications that aren’t available at other pharmacies. For other patients who absolutely cannot get a medication they need that isn’t available anywhere on the market, she tries to find innovative solutions.

“We have really grown our section of supplements for kids and adults who suffer from ADHD,” she says, referring to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adderall, a popular ADHD medication is completely unavailable nationwide right now. “If you can’t get your meds and want to try an alternative, or you’re just curious about what products are out there, come on in.”

She recommends that patients talk with their physicians, as well, but says they can get a lot of information to discuss with their doctors by coming in to Palms Pharmacy and learning about what’s on their shelves “We’re trying to be innovative,” she says.

National Recognition

Dr. Choudhry and her “Most Influential People in Pharmacy” award.

On a national scale, Dr. Choudhry has been recognized for her innovative ways. She recently won an award for being one of the “Most Influential People in Pharmacy” by the Pharmacy Podcast Network. She came in at number five, ahead of national CEOs and others says she was impressed just to be ranked among them. 

Since the award is voted on by her peers in the business, it was especially meaningful to her.

She says that it’s not so much that she appreciates the accolades, but because she’s truly trying to offer her customers something better than what they get at the big retailers.

For example, Palms Pharmacy offers on-site compounding to make your medications to custom specifications, such as low-dose Naltrexone (to manage alcohol or opioid use disorder and hormone replacement therapy. 

The store also now specializes in diabetic and endocrinology supplies, including being a preferred pharmacy for the continuous glucose monitoring system, DexCom.

And, Palms Pharmacy still offers curbside pickup for anyone who would prefer to stay in their car, rather than walking into the pharmacy.

The staff has grown to 12 people and now supports a second location, called One Source Pharmacy, in Westchase. This location has a partnership with One Source Medical Group, which helps diabetic patients get needed supplies that may not be covered under a pharmacy insurance group to get those supplies through their medical insurance.

Dr. Choudhry opened Palms Pharmacy in 2016, after 10 years as the pharmacist at the Publix in Tampa Palms. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy, then went on to receive her Pharm.D. degree in 2001, both from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY.

“We enjoy what we do and really appreciate our customers,” Dr. Choudhry says. “We know you can go anywhere, so if you’re willing to park your car and come through our doors, we’re going to try to do a little bit extra to make you feel welcome.”

Covid Deadline: May 11

Dr. Choudhry says at-home Covid tests will no longer be covered by insurance after May 11.

“Make sure you have Covid tests at home,” she says. “Covid is not going away. It’s more controllable now because when people get it, they stay home, but you will still want to be able to test for it.”

Come in to Palms Pharmacy before May 11 and the staff will help you get four or eight take-home Covid tests at no cost to you, if it’s covered by your insurance. If you’re not sure if it’s covered, feel free to call or text (phone numbers below) or come in so the staff can help you.

Palms Pharmacy also stocks the anti-viral treatment Paxlovid and the anti-inflammatory Medrol often prescribed by doctors with it for their Covid-positive patients.

The front of Palms Pharmacy features niche products that make fantastic gifts, including locally-sourced soaps, candles and honey, plus fun candy and snacks. A popular product called “Warmies” are soft animals stuffed with lavender. They can be heated in the microwave for 30 seconds and may help your child sleep or can be used as a heating pad. These are just a few items that may make a nice surprise in an Easter basket, for a loved one’s birthday, on Mother’s Day, as a hostess gift, and for countless other occasions.

Palms Pharmacy is located at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa, and is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Call (813) 252-9063, text Palm Pharmacy’s secure text-only line at (727) 513-3210. For more info, visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com. Follow Palms Pharmacy on Instagram and/or Facebook.

Prime Rx Pharmacy Fills Your Prescriptions With A Personal Touch!

Vikas Ghiya and his wife, Harsha, are long-time New Tampa residents who recently moved Prime Rx Pharmacy from Seminole in Pinellas County closer to home on Cross Creek Blvd.

Prime Rx Pharmacy in the Cross Creek Center plaza on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa has only been open for three months, but owner Vikas Ghiya, R.Ph. (Registered Pharmacist) is a long-time New Tampa resident who was happy to bring his business home to his neighborhood.

Ghiya has worked as a pharmacist since 1992, first for Eckerd, then Publix. In 2009, he established Prime Rx Pharmacy in Seminole, in Pinellas County, in partnership with others who opened other Prime Rx pharmacies in St. Petersburg and Riverview.

When the partnership dissolved in 2012, Ghiya kept his Seminole location open while he commuted from New Tampa. Recently, his landlord notified him that he needed to move the pharmacy, so he decided to relocate all the way to New Tampa, cutting 3 hours a day out of his commute. He says he now travels less than three miles each way to work.

Vikas has been married to his wife, Harsha, for 32 years. Harsha manages the office and billing for the pharmacy, and also has a license as a pharmacy technician, so she can help her husband with that part of the business when needed.

Currently the staff also includes Joseph Ortiz, who is Prime Rx’s primary pharmacy  tech, and Ghiya says the staff prides itself on being both fast and accurate, plus going above and beyond what is typical at a corporate pharmacy/chain drug store.

“Here, customer service is a priority,” explains Ghiya. “We often recognize our customers and welcome them by name.”

While Ghiya is quick to say he would never criticize a fellow pharmacist, he says in a corporate environment, pharmacists generally are simply too busy to offer such personalized service.

Not so at Prime Rx Pharmacy.

In India, Ghiya says he was educated in Ayurvedic medicine, which is a holistic healing system developed more than 3,000 years ago. Ghiya earned a doctorate degree and practiced Ayurveda in India until 1988, when he moved to the United States. He explains that in the U.S., his doctorate in Ayurveda is not recognized.

So, Ghiya enrolled at St. John’s University in Queens, NY, and received his B.S. degree in Pharmacy in 1992. Then, he moved to Florida.

“Even back then, corporate pharmacy was looking at quantity, not quality,” he says. Instead, he chose to be an independent pharmacist.

“This way, I get to spend more time with each patient,” he says, using both his pharmacological training and physiological training from India.

The Prime Rx Difference

Whether medicine is needed in a hurry or it’s just your regular prescription, Prime Rx Pharmacy will deliver it to your home (provided it is within a certain distance from the pharmacy) at no charge. 

“We offer free delivery,” says Ghiya. “If the kids are sick and Mom can’t leave the house, we deliver.”

In fact, Ghiya says closing his pharmacy in Seminole hasn’t meant losing all of those patients as customers. He says that Prime Rx Pharmacy still delivers medications to Seminole twice a week.

“However, some come to this pharmacy,” says Harsha. “They say, ‘you drove to us for 10 years, now we can drive to you once a month.’”

The pharmacy also offers compounding, such as mixing creams for male and female hormones. Each patient requires a completely custom tailoring of estrogen, progesterone and/or testosterone, which must be done in a compounding pharmacy such as Prime Rx.

Prime Rx Pharmacy also provides compounding for veterinary medicines when needed for your dog or cat.

And, it offers free flavorings in certain medications, which is especially popular in some antibiotics for kids.

In addition to prescriptions, the pharmacy also carries durable medical equipment (DME) for sale, and some items are also available for rent, such as wheelchairs, canes and more. 

Prime Rx also sells oil diffusers and essential oils, such as lavender and jasmine, to help people with sleep issues or anxiety, as well as CBD oil.

“We carry a broad spectrum of over-the-counter medicines and specialty vitamins, too,” says Ghiya, including the brands Pure and Ortho, which he says are high-quality vitamins. 

“They work better and are absorbed better,” he explains. “You cannot find this stuff in Walmart, CVS or Walgreens.”

He says he and his staff also are happy to counsel patients on the best vitamins, especially when they are taking prescription medications.

Custom Pill Packaging

Prime Rx Pharmacy also offers customized pill packaging, with medications sorted by the day and time a patient should take it. This is especially helpful for people who are chronically ill and take several medications at different times throughout the day.

“Instead of opening three or four different bottles, patients just open one blister pack,” Ghiya explains. “It helps the patient not to miss any pills. We count and make sure they get the exact dosage they need.”

At Prime Rx Pharmacy on Cross Creek Blvd., owner/pharmacist Vikas Ghiya is happy to help patients who have to take multiple medications every day. These blister packs divide your meds by when they need to be taken, marked with the day and time, to reduce the instances of patients forgetting to take their medication or accidentally taking more medication than they need.

He tells the story of one patient he recently helped with this type of packaging. “She took 18 medications, some once a day, some four times a day,” he explains. “That means she’s opening bottles 20-30 times a day. Instead, we give her a blister pack, and each one says which date and time to take it, so she knows if she missed a dose.”

Nine months later, he says that the patient’s health has improved.

“Her doctor asked her what she was doing to improve her health, and she said, ‘My pharmacist helped me,’” Ghiya says. “It’s because she’s not missing doses or taking extra doses.”

Now, he adds, she’s only on 12 meds and some of those are at reduced dosages.

Taking Time With Patients

“We like to make it fun and make people laugh when they come here,” Ghiya says. “People come in from the doctor and they’ve already waited and waited.”

Often, they’re stressed because they’ve received a bad diagnosis, so Ghiya and his staff always offer a listening ear, comfort and moral support.

“One patient moved here from New York and her daughter is diabetic and needs a particular insulin,” explains Ghiya. “She doesn’t have a car and was able to walk in to our pharmacy. Within two days, we took care of everything and delivered her special order to her. She said it was a totally different experience than at other pharmacies.”

He says the mom was nervous about using a syringe to give her daughter insulin, so he taught her how to use an insulin pen instead of a syringe.

“It’s easier to use and more accurate,” Ghiya explains. “We sat with her for 45 minutes to help her. We’re happy to do that.”

Prime Rx Pharmacy is located at 10010 Cross Creek Blvd. at Kinnan St. It is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, visit PrimeRxPharmacy.com or call (813) 955-7777.