BUSINESS FEATURE Hippo Pharmacy Hutto business brings extended customer service S ajid Shaikh opened Hippo Pharmacy in Downtown Hutto in July 2020, in large part because he said Hutto did not have a locally owned pharmacy. typically incentivise patients toward chain pharmacies over those that are locally owned, he said. Because of that, locally owned pharmacies must be creative with regard to their main pro t sources.
BY BRIAN RASH
“Everywhere around here seems to have a hometown pharmacy, but Hutto didn’t,” Shaikh said. “I saw the opportunity and I just kind of ran with it.” Taylor, P ugerville, Round Rock, Leander and other neighboring cities all have one, and Shaikh said it is important for small pharmacies to exist in communities alongside national and global chains such as Walmart, CVS and Walgreens. However, Shaikh said because chain pharmacies derive most of their pro ts from their relationships with insurance companies, hometown pharmacies focus more on selling quality products
“It used to be you could ll 40 to 50 scripts a day, and then you’d be good for cash ow,” Shaikh said. “That is no longer the situation.” At Hippo Pharmacy, Shaikh said he focuses on three components for a successful business—quality supplements, top-tier local hygiene and self-care products and elevated customer service that includes deliveries. “A lot of supplements that people buy … they don’t know the quality that they’re getting,” he said. “One example is sh oil. The average sh oil, the sh has been caught 18-24
Hippo Pharmacy provides medications for clients and in some cases o ers home delivery.
PHOTOS BY BRIAN RASH COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
PERKS OF THE HOMETOWN PHARMACY Hippo Pharmacy owner Sajid Shaikh said locally owned pharmacies can o er many advantages for customers that large chains cannot. At Hippo Pharmacy, Shaikh said there are three main facets he focuses on to bene t clients: from companies such as Ortho Molecular, Pure Encapsulations and Integrative Therapeutics. Shaikh said one reason products he sells are better is they have a higher quality standard and greater e cacy. 2. SELF CARE AND HYGIENE ITEMS Hippo Pharmacy sells soaps and other items from companies including Dr. Squatch, Two Sisters and A Wild Soap Bar. 3. CUSTOMER SERVICE In addition to more personal attention for clients who visit the 1. QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS IN STOCK Supplements come store, Shaikh said Hippo Pharmacy also provides delivery to many locations, including some outside of Hutto.
months prior to processing. It’s almost year-old sh.” Shaikh said the sh oil and other supplements he sells are what he called profes- sional grade and
and providing excellent cus- tomer service.
“WE’LL FIGURE SOMETHINGOUT
FORYOU. THAT’S THE WHOLE THINGABOUT A SMALL BUSINESS.” SAJID SHAIKH, HIPPO PHARMACY OWNER
“You shouldn’t be afraid of the big [pharmacies]. It’s a good sign that the big guys are there,” Shaikh
Pharmacist Sajid Shaikh owns and operates Hippo Pharmacy in Hutto.
said. “When people come to … an independently owned pharmacy, [they realize] they get personalized care. They get good pricing, and they are like ‘Why am I putting up with subpar service and subpar pricing?’” Shaikh grew up in Boston and grad- uated fromMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2009 before moving to Florida and then east Texas. He moved to Hutto in 2018 and opened Hippo Pharmacy, located on East Street, in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that even though it has been tough navigating a new busi- ness over the last 18 months, the Hutto community has been amazing, and his business continues to grow. Shaikh said one pitfall of being an independent pharmacy owner is that it is not uncommon for insurance companies to pay him less for medi- cation than what it costs to dispense the medication to patients. Bene ts from insurance companies
not prone to the trappings of poor quality that can result in little to no e cacy. Hippo Pharmacy also sells local goods from soaps to bath bombs. “People come around, they browse, and they know, ‘I’m going to get a gift that’s unique,’” he said. As far as future plans, Shaikh said he is hoping to expand into multiple locations, perhaps even outside of Hutto. “We are Hippo Pharmacy, but I do want to try to get farther out and serve the underserved communities,” he said. For now, Shaikh said he remains proud of the level of personal service Hippo Pharmacy o ers, from exten- sive consultations to free delivery inside and outside of Hutto. “The last thing you want to do when you’re sick is trudge out and get [medication], so we’ll get it to you,” he said. “We’ll gure something out for you. That’s the whole thing about a small business.”
The pharmacy o ers professional-grade supplements from several companies.
HippoPharmacy 107 East St., Ste. A, Hutto 512-846-6004 www.hippopharmacy.org
1660
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Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; closed Sun.
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ROUND ROCK EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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