Dr. Martez L. Prince, a pharmacist and entrepreneur, wanted to make an impact in his community ever since he received his doctorate in pharmacy from an HBCU. So, he quit his job at a big pharmaceutical company and started a pharmacy called Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center that provides all-inclusive health care services to the community.
Prince, a 32-year old pharmacist who graduated from Florida A&M University in 2010, started out working at Rite Aid Corporation. During his five years with the company, he had been successful in climbing up the corporate ladder, but he didn’t feel satisfied. He felt that the company was focused more on their financial achievements than really serving their customers.
“I saw so many people walk in and out of the pharmacy and not really understand their health and well-being,” Prince told Black Enterprise. “Due to company metrics, it was impossible to spend adequate time teaching the patient what they needed to empower themselves.”
After thoroughly thinking it through, Prince decided to step out of his comfort zone, left his great-paying job, and created his own dream company to make a difference and impact the lives of the people he could serve. In 2015, he opened the Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The all-inclusive pharmacy offers a wide range of health care services aside from pharmaceutical services. An on-site clinic at Premier is staffed with a family nurse practitioner who can diagnose and treat non-urgent matters, such as ear infections and allergy symptoms, perform basic health screenings, and provide immunizations and travel vaccines. Premier has a retail store that sells vitamin supplements, personal hygiene items, drinks, and snacks as well.
In efforts to give more people more access to health care, Premier also offers membership programs and discounted rates to those who can’t afford health insurance.
Also a philanthropist, Prince created a non-profit called The Premier Foundation to help keep services and medications affordable for patients. Through the foundation, scholarships are also given out to some local students excelling in school and events and educational programs, such as wellness fairs, are being hosted.
Definitely, Prince has made his dream come true. He is now out to inspire others to follow their dream, too.
“Everyone is born with a dream already inside of them,” he said in an interview with he2magazine. “It’s up to each of us to make that dream a reality; it’s our sole purpose for existing. If you don’t follow your dream, you are destined to leave this earth without fulfilling your one and only true mission.”
Prince, who never stops dreaming, hopes that pharmacies around the world could pattern their practices on Premier, where wellness should always come first.
For more information about Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center, visit www.yourwellnesskey.com
To learn more about Dr. Martez L. Prince, visit www.drmartezprince.com
