Another school year has started, and you’ve sent your little ones off to class with their boxes of tissues and hand sanitizer, hoping to stop — or at least delay — the inevitable back-to-school sniffles and coughs.
To help give your child an extra boost, Riverside Pharmacy and the Wicomico County Board of Education have partnered to provide the county’s elementary school-aged children with a year’s supply of free multivitamins.
“This community has kept our business healthy for almost 40 years,” said Melissa Batie Johnson, manager, technician, and chief operating officer of Riverside and Milford Street Pharmacies. “This is something we wanted to do to help keep the community healthy. Vitamins aren’t a cure-all, but they can help to close potential nutritional gaps to keep kids healthier. That means kids can be in school more days and learn better. It’s something we hope we can do to help promote success for children, and we hope it starts the conversation about wellness in the family.”
The Smart Kids vitamin program is open to all elementary school-aged children in Wicomico County. It’s very easy to join the program — just fill out the enrollment form with your child’s basic biographical data, and receive a bottle of vitamins for each child each month for one year.
With a background in education and two kids of her own, Johnson is very passionate about the health and wellbeing of children. “We’re really excited to partner with the Board of Education to make this happen. We’re very hopeful it’s a program that goes well. It has the potential to make a real impact for local students.”
Johnson comes from a family that has spent its career in service to its community. Her father, Fred Batie, bought Gordy’s Pharmacy in downtown Salisbury in the early 1970s, then moved to the building on Riverside Drive in 1978. In 2010, the Baties did a major renovation, expansion and remodel to nearly double the store’s space. For Johnson, her father has been the role model for customer service.
“He’s been in this business for nearly 40 years, and I judge every other pharmacist I work with on the way he interacts with customers. He doesn’t sound like a medical book. He sounds like someone who knows what you’re dealing with. That’s what’s kept him in business all these years,” Johnson said. “We are so fortunate our pharmacists Buddy Richardson and Mary Pat Hoffman share those traits. They are fantastic!”
She also credits the pharmacy’s success to its employees, like cashier Seretha, technician and bookkeeper Kim, and manager Lisa, who have all worked for Riverside Pharmacy for more than 20 years.
“They really are the core of a very strong team. They know each other, they know how to work together, and they know our customers.”
The delivery drivers are also an integral part of the team, with three Smart Cars on the road five days a week (and until noon on Saturday) delivering prescriptions for free in the Salisbury area.
“There are a lot of circumstances where people either shouldn’t or can’t get out. That’s a big part of our commitment here. It’s a service we’ve offered for 39 years, even when our delivery service was a man on a bicycle. It’s a key part of who we are.”
Riverside and Milford Street Pharmacies are happy to help every member of your family. In fact, they offer prescription service, compounding and over-the-counter remedies for pets, too.