IPC Member Spotlight:
Roe Family Pharmacies
Some pharmacy owners spend years figuring out what they want to do with their lives. For Hal Roe, the answer came much earlier.
Growing up on a dairy farm, Hal knew he wanted a career that combined his love of math and science while giving him an opportunity to build a life beyond the farm. That opportunity arrived in an unlikely place: a sixth-grade classroom. After being assigned a project to research a profession and write a paper about it, Hal landed on pharmacy. The more he learned, the more interested he became. By the end of the assignment, the decision had already been made.
“I decided in sixth grade I was going to be a pharmacist, and here I am.”
More than four decades later, that childhood decision has grown into Roe Family Pharmacies, a network of independently owned pharmacies serving communities throughout Utah.
Learning the Business Before Owning It
Before becoming an owner, Hal spent ten years working for Shopko, where he learned far more than how to dispense prescriptions. As a pharmacy manager, he gained firsthand experience running a business, managing employees, controlling inventory, and being accountable for every aspect of pharmacy operations.
Looking back, Hal credits those years with teaching him the fundamentals of what it takes to run a successful pharmacy. While ownership wasn’t necessarily part of the plan at the time, the experience gave him the confidence and business foundation he would eventually need.
The opportunity arrived unexpectedly when a family friend who owned an independent pharmacy approached Hal about purchasing his business as retirement approached. Hal wasn’t immediately interested. In fact, he turned down the opportunity more than once.
Eventually, however, he began to realize that everything he had learned throughout his career had prepared him for ownership. On January 1, 2000, Hal and his wife officially purchased their first pharmacy and began a journey that would shape the next chapter of their lives.
What attracted him most wasn’t necessarily the business opportunity. It was the freedom. Owning his own pharmacy would allow him to care for patients the way he believed pharmacy should be practiced. It would give him the ability to build relationships, spend more time helping people, and focus on serving communities instead of simply following someone else’s model.
Growing One Opportunity at a Time
Today, Roe Family Pharmacies operates multiple locations throughout Utah, many of them embedded within physician-owned clinic settings. Interestingly, growth was never part of a grand master plan.
After purchasing the first store, another opportunity surfaced. Then another. A retiring owner called. A grocery operator wanted out of the pharmacy business. A clinic approached Hal about opening a pharmacy in one of its facilities. As relationships developed and healthcare partners continued expanding, additional pharmacies naturally followed.
For Hal, each location represented more than a business opportunity. It represented another chance to serve patients where care was already happening.
That growth came with challenges. New locations require capital, patience, and confidence. Some stores gained traction quickly, while others needed time to establish themselves. In one location, Hal admits they spent more than a year building the business before seeing meaningful results. Rather than panic, he relied on a philosophy that has served him well throughout his career.
“Have a good business plan and be patient. Be patient, be patient.”
That patience helped transform a single independent pharmacy into a growing organization serving patients across multiple communities.
Navigating a Changing Industry
The pharmacy profession has changed dramatically since Hal first entered it. Reimbursement pressures continue to increase. Margins remain tight. Operational complexity has expanded significantly.
Yet through all of that change, Hal believes independent pharmacy owners must remain focused on the fundamentals.
“You better learn how to take care of every dollar because if you don’t, the dollar will take care of you.”
It’s a philosophy that extends beyond purchasing. It influences hiring decisions, operational processes, growth opportunities, and long-term planning. Every decision matters because every dollar matters.
At the same time, Hal believes owners must avoid becoming consumed by short-term challenges. Success in pharmacy requires discipline, but it also requires perspective. Some locations take time to develop. Some investments take years to pay off. Independent pharmacy remains a profession where patience often wins.
Purchasing with Purpose
In today’s pharmacy environment, purchasing strategy can make a significant difference in overall profitability.
For Roe Family Pharmacies, purchasing has evolved into a disciplined process built around education, consistency, and accountability. Team members responsible for ordering are trained to review alternatives, evaluate opportunities, and actively look for ways to improve acquisition costs.
That process became even stronger through IPC programs like Pharmacy Select.
Rather than viewing purchasing as a routine task, Hal sees it as a strategic advantage. By leveraging Pharmacy Select opportunities and regularly reviewing purchasing data, his team is able to identify savings opportunities while maintaining contract compliance. IPC analysis showed Roe Family Pharmacies achieved approximately $214,000 in realized savings during a single quarter alone while uncovering additional opportunities for future improvement.
For Hal, however, the numbers are only part of the story. The real value comes from creating systems that help buyers make smarter decisions every day. It requires training, oversight, and a willingness to continually improve purchasing behavior across every location.
“Every time we use Pharmacy Select, I see how much we were saving
The Difference Is Service
While purchasing strategy helps maintain profitability, Hal is quick to point out that service remains the true differentiator.
When asked what separates Roe Family Pharmacies from the competition, his answer is simple: service.
Patients still want to be known by name. They still want somebody to answer their questions. They still want someone who cares enough to advocate for them and help them navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system.
“We try to let people know that we’re there for them and that we are their advocate for their medicine.”
Hal shared stories that demonstrate exactly what that means. One patient declined mail-order services because her weekly trip to the pharmacy represented one of the few social interactions she enjoyed each week. Another stopped him in a restaurant simply to tell his children how much she appreciated the care their father had provided.
Hal believes those moments happen because independent pharmacies still offer something many patients struggle to find elsewhere: genuine human connection.
He often reminds employees that for some individuals, particularly seniors, visiting the pharmacy may be the most meaningful interaction they have all day. A smile, a conversation, or simply being recognized by name can mean more than people realize.
That philosophy extends to every patient encounter. Whether helping a patient navigate medication challenges, collaborating with physicians, or counseling someone through hormone therapy, Hal believes pharmacists have an opportunity to improve lives in ways that extend far beyond filling prescriptions.
Building a Team That Shares the Mission
Hal is also quick to credit the people who help make that level of service possible.
Each Roe Family Pharmacy location operates with local leadership and pharmacy managers who are given the flexibility and authority to lead. Rather than controlling every decision, Hal believes in empowering people to take ownership of their pharmacy and create an environment where patients feel welcomed and valued.
“I want them to feel like they have a tie-in to the business.”
He also believes pharmacists should remain visible and accessible. Instead of hiding behind workflows and operational responsibilities, pharmacists should be available to answer questions, provide counseling, and build relationships. For Hal, every meaningful patient relationship begins with accessibility.
Giving Back to the Community
The impact of Roe Family Pharmacies extends well beyond the prescription counter.
One of the initiatives Hal is most proud of is helping establish a nonprofit pharmacy that serves individuals experiencing homelessness. What started as efforts to support medication access eventually evolved into a fully functioning pharmacy connected to an indigent care clinic. Today, patients can receive medications at no cost alongside healthcare services provided by volunteer physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and community partners.
Closer to home, Hal supports schools, educational programs, youth events, and local organizations throughout the communities his pharmacies serve. From elementary school initiatives to robotics teams, he prefers supporting programs where he can see firsthand how those contributions make a difference.
His philosophy is straightforward: meaningful community involvement starts at the grassroots level.
Looking Ahead
Despite ongoing industry challenges, Hal remains optimistic about the future of healthcare.
Advances in medicine continue to transform patient care. Treatments that seemed impossible decades ago are now routine. New therapies continue emerging. Innovative medications are helping improve quality of life in ways previous generations never imagined.
What excites Hal most is watching those advancements directly impact patients. Whether it’s new oncology therapies, GLP-1 medications, autoimmune treatments, or future innovations still being developed, he believes healthcare is entering an incredibly exciting era.
“The advances in medicine are just phenomenal.”
While technology, medications, and healthcare systems will continue to evolve, one thing remains unchanged for Hal. Pharmacy is ultimately about helping people. That’s why he entered the profession, and it’s still what drives him today.
Advice for Fellow IPC Members
After decades in pharmacy ownership, Hal’s advice for fellow independent pharmacy owners comes down to two principles.
First, use every tool available to you. Purchasing programs, contract opportunities, Pharmacy Select, and IPC resources exist for a reason. Understanding how to maximize those tools can make a meaningful difference in profitability and long-term sustainability.
Second, never forget that patients are the reason independent pharmacy exists.
“If you’re not getting referrals from your customers to have their friends come to you, you’re probably not doing it right.”
For Hal, success isn’t measured solely by store count, prescription volume, or growth. Success is measured by trust, relationships, referrals, and the positive impact a pharmacy can have on the people it serves.
More than forty years after a sixth-grade class project introduced him to pharmacy, that’s still the standard he uses today.
Put IPC’s Purchasing Tools to Work for Your Pharmacy
Interested in learning how IPC purchasing programs can support your pharmacy? Connect with your IPC Regional Director to explore the tools, services, and savings opportunities available to members.
