5 Questions and a Secret: Pharmacist Scott Ellefson loves pace and community of smaller operation

 

By KATHLEEN O’CONNOR/YachatsNews

WALDPORT — Nonstop, complicated, intense — but always with rewarding moments. That is how each day is for Scott Ellefson, managing pharmacist at Hi-School Pharmacy in Waldport.

Ellefson is a familiar face to a great many people in Waldport and Yachats since Hi-School is the only pharmacy that serves these two towns.

Ellefson grew up in Coos Bay and still lives there, commuting to Waldport for his four-day work week and staying in his RV in McKinley’s RV Park while he is working. His wife, Emily, a retired caregiver, often accompanies him.

Growing up, Ellefson’s family took full advantage of their coastal home; camping, fishing, and beachcombing regularly. Like all teenagers on the coast, he and his friends frequented all the best beach hangouts during high school, many of which they thought were secret places, later realizing they had been secret beach hangouts for many past generations, too.

A good student who loved science, Ellefson went to Oregon State University, choosing pharmacy as a major. At that time, a pharmacy degree required five years of coursework, which included an endless stream of chemistry and pharmacology courses. Now pharmacists must complete seven years of schooling, finishing with a doctor of pharmacy degree.

Ellefson graduated in 1987, and was grateful and proud to find a job right away as a rotating pharmacist for Bi-Mart. He has been working as a retail pharmacist ever since.

Question: Why have you chosen to work at Hi-School pharmacy in Waldport instead of at a pharmacy in Coos Bay?

Answer: I started working at Hi-School in 2012. I had been working at large retail pharmacies ever since I graduated from OSU, most recently at Fred Meyer. The bureaucracy of such large chains had gotten harder to navigate over time, and I was looking for a different environment. Hi-School is still an independently owned retail chain with 50 stores, many under the Hi-School banner, and many under affiliate names. Most are in small communities, but there aren’t any in Coos Bay.

My hiring interview was with the president of the company, something that would never happen at one of the large chain stores. The store was known as Waldport Drug and Gift back then and was located where L’il Joe’s General Store is now. Our pharmacy is closed on Saturday and Sunday, and a rotating pharmacist covers for me one day a week, either Monday or Friday.

The corporate staff at Hi-School is easy to approach with ideas or problems, and we have a great staff at the Waldport store. The move was perfect for me.

Q: How does a typical day go for you?

A: Because we are the only pharmacy between Florence and Newport most people in Waldport and Yachats choose to get their prescriptions filled with us — 250-300 each day. My day starts with vaccines; we administer 60-80 each week, but while I’m doing that I am also beginning to look at the prescriptions. I must review every single one. About half of these are new and require that I talk with the customer about how to use them. And each new prescription must be checked against the customer’s other prescriptions to avoid drug interactions. Then there are phone calls with doctors and customers, and the occasional emergency. The pharmacy is crazy busy every day, and it’s imperative that I stay focused so everyone gets what they need. We have many customers who greet us warmly, make us smile, and share bits of their lives with us. We are lucky that we get to know so many people in our community.

Q: How did you decide to stay in Coos Bay after graduating from college?

A: I was so happy to get through all the pharmacy coursework and land a job back in my hometown when I graduated. Returning to my family and my hometown seemed natural. Emily is also from Coos Bay, so once we got married and started a family everything I needed was there. Coos Bay was a wonderful place for me to grow up and to raise our two sons, one of whom has stayed there himself.

Q: What issues does your pharmacy face?

A: Although Hi-School is a smaller company there have been cost-cutting measures that require us to do more with less people. It means that focusing throughout the workday is even more important.

We can’t have all the drugs in stock that people need, so we sometimes must ask people to wait for their prescriptions or make a trip to another pharmacy in Newport. And some drugs have been chronically in short supply in the last year or two. Adderall, which is used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is an example of this. This is frustrating for our customers and for us.

Q: How does the pharmacy handle opioids?

A: Opioids (Schedule 2 drugs) are kept in a locked safe with a combination that is closely guarded. The Drug Enforcement Agency and the Board of Pharmacy both monitor how many opioid prescriptions we process and how they are managed. Most of the customers who need these medications on an ongoing basis for chronic pain are required sign a contract with their medical provider which details the way the drugs are to be used and renewed.

Tell us a secret.

I think it’s important to remember some of the basic ways to respect people. I try to be slow to criticize and quick to praise, I apologize if I’m wrong, I try not to sweat the small stuff, I don’t bark at people. There’s just no need to create unnecessary conflict.

• Kathleen O’Connor is a Waldport freelance writer who can be reached via email at kmoc8916@gmail.com