Vic’s Family Pharmacy
Owner: Vic Allen, RPh
Location: Nampa, Idaho
A Pharmacist and His Friend: The Beginning
Vic’s Family Pharmacy has been independently owned and operated in Nampa and surrounding areas since 1988. After graduating from Idaho State University in 1978, owner Vic Allen worked in multiple pharmacy settings, including hospital, home health services, Indian Health Services, chain and independent pharmacy.
He decided to open his own store with the help of a physician friend who needed a pharmacy close to his new clinic. Vic has never looked back, and over the course of 28 years he has owned three pharmacies, each with its own unique story.
The original store was a freestanding 1,400 square ft. store with a drive-through window.
Store Number Two
After buying the building, Vic did several extensive remodels before deciding to open a second location in Nampa. This location, called Dallan Woods, was opened in 2011 and absorbed the Bubble pack and Medi Set operations.
“To successfully operate and sell an independent pharmacy to another independent operator has been the most personally satisfying experience of my career.”
-Vic Allen, RPh
In 2003, Vic also purchased land in nearby Kuna, ID, a one-bank town that needed a pharmacy. After operating in a clinic for several years, Vic built a 2,600 square ft. pharmacy, including a drive- through. He operated this business for six years before selling to the pharmacy manager, who is currently running a very successful operation. According to Vic, “To successfully operate and sell an independent pharmacy to another independent operator has been the most personally satisfying experience of my career.”
And Then There Were Three
Soon the original store was in need of an upgrade, and the compounding business needed more space, so when a bank vacated a 5,000 square ft. building across the parking lot from the pharmacy, Vic decided to buy and repurpose the bank into a new pharmacy. This gave him room for a large compounding lab, a full-line nutritional and supplement department, vaccination and MTM privacy, and an impressive drive-through. The original pharmacy has since been remodeled, and Vic now operates Freedom Health supply, a DME supply store, at that location.
Vic is passionate about independent pharmacy. He supports the Idaho State University Alumni and College of Pharmacy scholarship program and acts as a pharmacy school preceptor. He has served as a Good Neighbor Pharmacy® Advisory Board member, Compounders on the Hill, IACP lobbyist for International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists, and implements many Good Neighbor Pharmacy® value-driven pilot programs.
Vic Allen has been an AmerisourceBergen Good Neighbor Pharmacy® since the start. “The partnership that AmerisourceBergen brings to the table with business and pharmacy services has made them the largest contributor to our independent success,” said Vic. “Our success has passed the test of time, with three Walmarts and everybody else in town. We bring compounding, special packaging, immunizations, nutritionals and other services to our community, and we perform well. Our community depends on us because they know we sincerely care about patient outcomes and see the value in relationships.”
The Secret to a Successful Business Model
“Western States Pharmacy Coalition has been an excellent business partner that really exemplifies my success model. Business partners you can trust are necessary to meet the demands of business and to be a successful independent pharmacy operator.”
