seasons

McWHORTER SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
Cardinal Scholarship
Helps White Own an
Independent Pharmacy
by Robin DeMonia
In 2012, Kacie White became McWhorter School of
Pharmacy’s first winner of the Cardinal Scholarship,
which helps seniors pursuing careers in independent
pharmacies.
Four years later, White is fulfilling the scholarship’s vision
and her childhood dreams.
She owns Cowart Drugs, a 96-year-old independent
pharmacy in Calera, Alabama, that White’s family had patronized
throughout her life and that she’d worked in since age 15.
“Everything worked out perfectly,” White said. “Just about
the time I was planning to graduate, the owner of the pharmacy
was getting ready to retire.”
It was an opportunity long in the making. As part of a
long-ago school project about her career dreams, White interviewed
Cowart’s previous owner, Theresa Harris. Harris offered
that day to hire White when she was old enough to work. As a
result, White went to work for Cowart Drugs as a cashier before
she could drive, and she continued to work there during her
college summers and holidays. Before White had even been
accepted to pharmacy school, Harris asked whether she’d be
interested in buying Cowart Drugs.
“She didn’t want it sold to a chain, and she wanted to keep a
local person to take over,” White said. “She had other opportunities
to sell the store before I finished up with pharmacy school, but she
knew I wanted this so bad. She waited until I finished to sell it.”
White’s dream got a boost from McWhorter School of
Pharmacy’s inaugural scholarship from Cardinal Health of Ohio, a
Fortune 500 health care services company that distributes pharmaceuticals
and medical products. The scholarship supported her
senior year of study and also provided mentoring resources.
“The Cardinal Scholarship definitely helped,” White said.
After graduating in 2013, White worked alongside Harris for a
year, and then bought the business — a time she describes as both
satisfying and intense.
“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve worked in a pharmacy
before. That first day you’re by yourself is like, ‘Wow, this is real,’”
White said. “However, it’s one of the greatest feelings because you
have worked so hard for that day.”
Kacie White now owns Cowart Drugs.
Since buying Cowart Drugs two years ago, White has made
small improvements and continued to build relationships with
customers, a number of whom have known her for years. She is
humbled that “they ask for me personally and miss me when I’m
not there.”
Still, her time at Cowart Drugs has not been without
challenges.
“The first year was definitely hard, not so much with the
pharmacy part of it, but mostly the business side,” she said. “I’m
still learning more about the business side each day. . . . Nowadays,
you have to offer other services to your customers to bring in
revenue, because dispensing alone won’t get it anymore.”
She remains involved in the Cardinal Scholarship program,
serving on the selection committee and encouraging interested
students to apply.
As for her own plans, White doesn’t rule out opening another
store. But for now, she is happy where she is, which is where she
always wanted to be. “I’ve been more blessed than I ever thought
possible,” White said. ◗
26 • Seasons • Summer 2016 • College of Health Sciences Newsletter