Where Advanced Care Meets Personal Service

Dave’s journey into pharmacy began in childhood. “It started back when I was in fifth grade,” he said. “My uncle, who was a hospital pharmacist, said, ‘Dave, you love science, you love math, and you love helping people. You can put all three together in a career in pharmacy.’ Since fifth grade, that’s what I strove to do.”

That early encouragement laid the foundation for a career focused on helping others. After working for the VA, Dave was approached by the owner of a local independent pharmacy who wanted to retire. “At the time I was like, ‘Doug, I don’t think I could probably afford what you want for it.’ But he wasn’t that busy, and so he worked with me, and we were able to buy it.”

Four years later, Dave was making 60 to 90 deliveries a day to a nearby town. “My wife said, ‘I’m tired of making that many deliveries. We need to open a store there.’ So, we opened Dave’s in Alliance and that’s where it took off.”

Dave is not only focused on patient care; he’s also an advocate for the future of independent pharmacy. As President-Elect of the Nebraska Pharmacists Association, he sits on the board and the legislative committee.

“We try and get at least one PBM bill into the legislature every year,” Dave said. “Unfortunately, it’s been gutted a lot of years from the original bill that we have. Hopefully Nebraska will wake up to the states around us and start going in the right direction.”

His advocacy extends to Washington, D.C. as well. “I’ve gone the last three years to DC. It shows our legislators that we care enough to take the time away from business, to invest the money that it takes to get there and stay there,” he said. “My representative has been in my store for the last five years just visiting, checking in. And I’ve had a call this year from the other senator. I’m hoping we can get him in there too.”

While Dave spends plenty of time in front of lawmakers, he also finds himself in front of the camera and the phone. He’s built a strong social media following that reaches well beyond his local community.

“Box Butte County only has about 15,000 people in it, and we’ve got way more followers than that,” Dave said. “We’ve had questions come in from Wisconsin, England, Australia. It makes me a better provider, and it helps me learn things I can utilize in my own patient base.”

Dave regularly posts “Midweek Med Tips” on TikTok and Instagram, sharing pharmacist insights and patient education. These videos have opened the door to meaningful conversations, including one memorable moment from a trade show.

“Last year I shared some studies regarding Keppra being used in other countries for early stages of dementia. This year at the trade show, she came to me and said that her family member started on Keppra and is doing much better. In fact, the family member’s doctor is treating other patients with that drug. That made my trade show.”

In 2025, Dave’s Pharmacy was named Health Mart’s Atlas Pharmacy of the Year at McKesson ideaShare in Nashville, Tennessee.

“It really was quite an honor,” Dave said. “There were a lot of other pharmacies doing amazing things. But for my staff, it shows them that what they’re doing every day has meaning outside of just our patients. It’s nice to get some national recognition. That means a lot when you’re stuck in the daily grind.”

Throughout his growth, Dave has relied on IPC as a trusted resource. “It’s been nice to get stuff from the warehouse that’s out of stock in other places. It’s also nice to get brand names from the warehouse. It helps my GCR,” he said. “Their pricing through McKesson is a lot of times cheaper than my normal price. I utilize that quite often.”

He’s also launching IPC’s iCare+ program at his Hemingford location to expand care in rural areas with limited clinic access. “Hopefully that will open up some doors there.”

When he’s not at the store or traveling for advocacy, Dave is outdoors or with family. “I like to hunt, and I like to fish. I’ve got five kids and six grandkids. We do a lot of traveling while staying up on activities,” he said. “When I travel, I always like to stop at independent pharmacies, check them out and see what’s going on. See if I can come up with some new ideas or help them out too.”

Dave’s advice to new pharmacy owners is simple but powerful. “Like I said [at McKesson ideaShare], it would be chase the patient, not the dollar. Because when you’re chasing the dollar, everybody knows what you’re in it for. But when you chase the patient and really provide the service and make the patient the center of your business, it shows and the dollar will come.”

He adds, “Yes, you have to make that decision based on the dollar or you’re going to be closed. But as long as the patient knows that your main concern is them, it’s going to bring value back to your business and it’s going to allow your business to grow.”