Heart Pharmacy owner and president Rasool Rayani is tapping into the nurturing spirit of his father’s legacy.
“I have fond recollections of seeing my father late at night and early in the morning, working in the pharmacy, engaging with the customers.”
But it wasn’t always so. Notwithstanding the adolescent appeal of the apothecary, Rayani decided at an early age that he didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“I didn’t pursue it in my undergraduate education. I went into the high-tech field.”
Following university, after a start-up, a sell-off, and then a reacquainting with the pharmacy on the heels of an illness his father suffered, Rayani rediscovered his love for the family business.
“I spent 2010 getting reacquainted with the business,” said Rayani.
But when he stepped into the role of president, he envisioned a future for the company that expanded significantly on what his father had started in 1991. At the time, the pharmacy had two locations. That would soon change.
“In 2011, we expanded by three additional locations. That kicked off a three-year process of rebranding the business and learning to unravel the regulatory framework of a rapidly changing industry.”
He secured the name Heart Pharmacy after a re-evaluation of the company’s vision and goals. Creating an opportunity for customers to engage with a pharmacist personally is the goal of the service, said Rayani.
“The core of the management team met repeatedly over three months to decide on that vision,” said Rayani, who heralded the success of the company’s teamwork. “There’s a real joy in having a team of deeply engaged collaborators who share a common bond through the family connection.”
Heart Pharmacy now operates five locations, offering specialized services for diabetes care and heart health. Rayani has also added a natural market component, which he plans to expand.
“It’s a heavier emphasis on healthy eating and nutrition to have that whole spectrum of healthy engagement.”
