In January 2020, a front page article in the New York Times by Ellen Gabler hit the pharmacy profession like a thunderbolt: How Chaos at Chain Pharmacies is Putting Patients at Risk. For many pharmacists, every word of it rang true - and propelled Wes Hickman from obscurity to pharmacy celebrity.

Dr. Hickman’s posts on the social media platform Reddit, announcing his decision to go out on his own, caught the attention of the NY Times. His experiences gave voice to the frustrations and fears of many like him.

He is now the sole proprietor of an independent pharmacy bearing his name in Leland, N.C., just outside of Wilmington. We spoke with him recently on a weekday morning, as he was preparing to open his pharmacy and serve the people of the town where he was raised and still lives with his young family. 

Here's the original NYT Article featuring Wes Hickman: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/health/pharmacists-medication-errors.html