Summer 2011 [pdf] - University of Kentucky - College of Pharmacy

Women
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Her entrepreneurial spirit continues to grow. In February
2011, Dawson and her sister, Cheryl Little, a 1997 UK
College of Pharmacy alumnus, opened the Harold Clinic
Pharmacy in Floyd County, Ky.
To think that two members of the family would be
entrepreneurs would please Dawson’s father to no end,
she says.
“My mother was a stay-at-home mom. My dad was a
cable lineman and he worked very, very hard,” Dawson
said. “He always wanted us to do better than he did, and
he was always proud of what we had accomplished.
Though my dad passed away five years ago, he would
have loved that we started a pharmacy together.”
That small business mindset was natural for Horn-Barker.
Growing up in Inez in Martin County, Kentucky, her
parents owned three convenience stores and a truck
stop. After starting her undergraduate career at UK, she
became homesick and returned home and managed
the family businesses. It was during that period of her
life where she developed a passion for people and
community.
Horn-Barker had always promised her parents that she
would return to school to fulfill her dream of earning a
pharmacy degree. At about age 30, she returned to UK to
continue taking undergraduate courses, before enrolling
in the College of Pharmacy.
“I also like the small business aspect of owning an independent pharmacy. I like
knowing the names of all my patients – I like knowing their families.”
Nancy Horn-Barker
When it comes to finding a pharmacy on the leadingedge
of the practice, look no further than Corner Drug
in Winchester, Kentucky. Nancy Horn-Barker, owner and
operator of the store, has adopted a simple mantra, “If it
improves patient care, we’ll give it a try.”
Corner Drug patients can receive their immunizations,
purchase diabetic shoes, or receive Medication Therapy
Management, in addition to receiving their prescription
with a smile from someone who knows them.
“If you are going to stay viable in the community
pharmacy market, you have to try new things,” said Horn-
Barker. “I also like the small business aspect of owning an
independent pharmacy. I like knowing the names of all
my patients – I like knowing their families.”
After earning her PharmD, Horn-Barker accepted a
postdoctoral fellowship that was a joint venture between
UK and the American Pharmacy Services Corporation
(APSC). She became APSC’s first director of government
affairs following her fellowship in 2003, a position she
held for one year.
An opportunity to purchase Corner Drug presented itself
in 2004 and Horn-Barker decided to dive back into the
business world. She partnered with UK alumni Harold
Cooley and Alicia Dawson in the new business, two fellow
entrepreneurs that she still considers mentors.
“I could not have done all of this without the two of them,”
Horn-Barker said. “That’s the thing about independent
pharmacists in Kentucky – we don’t see each other as
competition. We want to see everyone survive and thrive.”
Women & Philanthropy brings together women of
diverse talents and experiences who share the ambition
of building a better UK and a better Kentucky.
To learn more about how you can join this philanthropic
network, contact:
Tawanda Lewis
(859) 323-7111
tawanda.lewis@uky.edu
18 focus on pharmacy