Kimberly Jones, RPh, shares how Austin Pharmacy & Medical Supplies combines pharmacy and medical supply services under 1 roof.
Kimberly Jones, RPh, is the pharmacy manager of Austin Pharmacy & Medical Supplies, located in Cockeysville, Maryland, about 25 minutes north of Baltimore. “During pharmacy school, my internship was at an independent pharmacy in my hometown, and I realized I preferred that atmosphere,” Jones said. “I value the opportunity to truly get to know my patients, understand their stories, and connect with their families. Working for an independent company provides the time and flexibility to cultivate these relationships with both patients and health care providers.”
Initially, Jones started working on a part-time basis at Austin Pharmacy. “As luck would have it,” she said, “a pharmacist position opened up, and they needed someone to fill in. I started as a part-time pharmacist and became full-time within a year. I became the manager in 2019. As they say, the rest is history.
Austin Pharmacy was originally started by Charles Austin in Towson, Maryland—a suburb of Baltimore—in 1940. It was originally a classic neighborhood drugstore, complete with a soda fountain. The current owners are Donna and John Wolk. Wolk bought the business in 1989, and by that time, it had been remodeled and looked more like pharmacies seen today. In 2012, they opened a larger second location in Cockeysville, and in addition to the pharmacy, they also carried medical supplies and equipment. In 2021, after COVID-19, the Wolks closed the original Towson location and moved all the pharmacy customers to Cockeysville. With most customers receiving deliveries to their homes, the transition was easy…