When Jarrod Tippins applied to the University of South Carolina as an education major, his mentor, Dan Bushardt, ‘70, convinced him that he should consider pharmacy as a future career.
He took Tippins to his first South Carolina Pharmacy Association meeting, where Bushardt served as president. That’s where Tippins saw firsthand what leadership looked like.
“He always told me that you can be at the table or on the table,” says Tippins. “When I saw how active he was and the influence he had on important topics, I knew that I wanted to be involved.”
Tippins earned his Pharm.D. and launched his professional career with CVS Pharmacy, where he became an emerging leader and earned the Paragon Award in 2010 and 2011. Armed with corporate world experience, Tippins began his personal quest to become an independent pharmacy owner. He fulfilled that dream with the opening of The Pharmacy in Florence, South Carolina in 2016.
Tippins recognizes that relationships are important in the pharmacy community.
“Everything is relational – in pharmacy, in business, in your community,” he says. “Understanding that helped me learn to interact and form meaningful relationships that paved the way for me.”
I have always asked myself how I could make an impact and enjoy what I do. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, to be a great pharmacist, and to be impactful in my community.
A passion for helping others also drove his desire to be a pharmacist.
“I have always asked myself how I could make an impact and enjoy what I do,” Tippins says. “I wanted to be an entrepreneur, to be a great pharmacist and to be impactful in my community.”
For his dedication to improving the lives of his patients and his community, Tippins has been recognized with multiple awards, including the SCPhA Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year. For implementing solutions to provide vaccinations and testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, he earned the SCPhA Excellence in Innovation Award.
Tippins serves on several community boards, including the Florence County Disabilities Foundation, All 4 Autism, Rotary Club of Florence and the McLeod Health Foundation. He was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce in March.
Tippins believes in giving support to the College of Pharmacy.
“To whom much is given, much is required,” he says. “I have been blessed immensely, and I feel it is my duty to give back and to help where I can. Whether it be financially or through sharing my time and experiences, it is a responsibility that I share so others have that opportunity as well.
“Hopefully in return I can help pave the way for someone else.”
Topics: Alumni Programs, Alumni Awards, Support the College