SHARKS RX Spring 2017 Magazine

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY 6 By Lona O’Connor Most men just starting a family would not walk away from a steady job and start a new business. But most men are not Armando Bardisa, Pharm.D. (’97)—a 2016 NSU Distinguished Alumnus of the Year and a member of the college’s Dean’s Advisory Board. Distinguished Alumnus Puts Entrepreneurial Abilities to Good Use “I worked for Walgreens for 10 years as a pharmacy manager and then said, ‘I think I can do my own thing.’ My daughter, Amanda, had just been born, but my wife said, go for it. I cashed out all my Walgreens stock and put everything into the business.” Starting in 2003, with only himself and a cashier as staff members, Bardisa built the highly successful, independent South Miami Pharmacy, now called SMP Pharmacy Solutions (SMP). These days, the big drugstore chains are watching his innovations, and venture capitalists are wooing him. “At first, our goal was to be the best pharmacy in South Miami, then Miami. Now our goal is to be the best independent pharmacy in the country,” he said. “There is definitely a place for the independent pharmacy. You can use your mind to decrease hospitalizations, increase compliance, make sure patients are taking the medicine, and counsel patients. We can handle the patient as a whole, no matter what his or her needs are.” SMP is one of the brightest stars in the business world, growing 136 percent in revenue from 2014 to 2015— filling more than 10,000 scripts a week. SMP is listed as the eighth most-successful, privately held business in the state. The company has been on Inc. magazine’s list of 5,000 fastest-growing private companies for 8 consecutive years and won the prestigious J.D. Power & Associates’ “highest in customer satisfaction” rating. Additionally, Bardisa was a finalist in Ernst & Young’s 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year awards competition for his “excellence and extraordinary success in innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to businesses and communities.” SMP was also featured as one of the 2016 Best Places to Work. Besides its retail store, SMP Pharmacy Solutions runs a compounding lab providing specialty medicines for fertility and chronic diseases. A personal interest in antiaging and healthy living led to a certification for Bardisa from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. “I’m very passionate about preventive medicine and nutrition to support optimal health,” Bardisa said. Added to his list of business awards is the 2016 Bowl of Hygeia Award from the Florida Pharmacy Association for civic leadership. “I’m so proud of that one,” he said. “It really means to me that I’ve been recognized for giving back to the community.” Bardisa was part of a team of 75 medical professionals who volunteered in the Dominican Republic to treat more than 1,500 farmworkers in 3 days. He and his employees also raised thousands of dollars for St. Jude and other charities. SMP also works with foundations to ensure HIV patients can pay for their medications. “At first, our goal was to be the best pharmacy in South Miami, then Miami. Now our goal is to be the best independent pharmacy in the country.” —Armando Bardisa (continued on next page) Armando Bardisa, center, is shown with his pharmacy team—from left, Elizabeth Hernandez, Pharm.D. (’05); Jenny Alfonso, Pharm.D. (’05); Richard Mayan, Pharm.D. (’08); and Eddy Lopez, Pharm.D. (’03).