As long as there has been a bridge, a friendly sort of rivalry has existed between Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. Some islanders hesitate to cross that bridge into “Bluffghanistan” unless there’s something they need that can be procured only at one of the big box stores on the mainland.
Likewise, Bluffton went and built an entire parkway just to be able to get around without accidentally getting swept up in the endless parade of tourists heading onto the island.
And while our high school football teams square off on the field, the people of both towns will begrudgingly point out the beauty of both. Those of us who live in Bluffton may bristle at tourist traffic, but we’ll also throw a fit when we are asked to pay to visit some of our favorite beaches. Because we get what brings those tourists to the island – it’s one of the most beautiful places on earth. Likewise, those of us who live on Hilton Head must eventually admit that behind those big box stores is a place where the genuine spirit of a small town thrives.
Because that is ultimately Bluffton’s greatest strength. It might not be a Conde Nast-recognized tourist destination, but it is a place where everyone still knows everyone else’s name and asks how their mama is doing. If you need any evidence, you need only visit Bluffton Pharmacy.
Cole Holloway and Rob Vaughn
“We know everyone by name. You’re meeting with a pharmacist who knows you,” said Bluffton Pharmacy owner Rob Vaughn. “When you call, you’re not waiting on hold. It’s one of us who answers the phone. We build those relationships all day long.”
A stunning contrast to the sterile corporate coldness of a CVS or a Walgreen’s, Bluffton Pharmacy has always been that welcoming throwback to a time when the word “care” played a larger role in health care. It’s been that place where you know you’re going to get all the answers you need about the medications you’re taking, underscored by a wealth of knowledge and services like compounding and personalized recommendations.
It’s the small-town charm of Bluffton, encapsulated in a single storefront. And now, that charm is casting its spell on Hilton Head Island. With the opening of Hilton Head Pharmacy, Vaughn is taking that same personalized service that made Bluffton Pharmacy an institution and using it to give folks on the south end and mid-island an alternative to corporate order filling.
“I want to make it a place where we’re not filling a million prescriptions like the big box stores do. I want to offer that same experience to Hilton Head that we do for Bluffton, where we know everyone who walks in the door and they know us,” he said. “Here, we want patients to be able to come in, have access to their pharmacist and be able to ask the questions they need answered. That’s important, and you don’t always get that at a CVS or a Walgreen’s.”
Adding to that atmosphere of a familiar hometown drugstore backed by decades of expertise, the new location on Park Lane brings a host of state-of-the-art upgrades to Vaughn’s family of pharmacies going back to 1988.
Of course, as much as Bluffton typifies the small-town experience, Hilton Head Island has its own culture as a community. Your neighbors might live behind a different gate than you do, but it’s still a small town and familiar faces are part of that. In opening Hilton Head Pharmacy, Vaughn reached out to one of the island’s most familiar faces, pharmacist Cole Holloway.
“Cole has worked on the island for about 15 years now, and he knows everybody. Plus, a lot of people know him, including the prescribers,” Vaughn said. “He’s going to be a familiar face for a lot of people.”
But Holloway is much more than just a familiar face. With the New Year bringing changes to insurance regulations, his expertise will be massively important to patients at Hilton Head Pharmacy.
Hilton Head Pharmacy has a USP 800 compounding chamber, allowing the team to compound your medications safely and effectively, giving you a tremendous option for personalizing your drugs.
“There are going to be a lot of new insurance questions, and Cole is a master at that. He knows every plan and what’s going to be best for that particular patient,” Vaughn said. “Plus, he’s just a wealth of information about prescriptions or medical questions.”
Adding to that atmosphere of a familiar hometown drugstore backed by decades of expertise, the new location on Park Lane brings a host of state-of-the-art upgrades to Vaughn’s family of pharmacies going back to 1988. First up is a USP 800 compounding chamber, allowing Hilton Head Pharmacy to compound your medications safely and effectively, giving you a tremendous option for personalizing your drugs. With a little bit more room than the Bluffton location, the new Hilton Head store has a pair of office spaces that Vaughn hopes to fill with prescribers for a one-stop shop.
“We are looking to add a prescribing entity, whether an MD or a nurse practitioner, so you can meet with somebody if you’re not feeling well,” Vaughn said.
The exterior of Hilton Head Pharmacy, located on Park Lane accross from the former site of Nick’s Steak & Seafood.
Stay tuned as those plans develop. In the meantime, you can stop by your new hometown pharmacy, have your prescriptions filled by some of the most experienced pharmacists in the Lowcountry, and sample a little bit of the small-town attention that sets Hilton Head Pharmacy apart.
“Bluffton Pharmacy has been around since 1988 and has become a huge part of the community,” Vaughn said. “We want to bring that same feeling over here to give the people of Hilton Head an opportunity to get away from the big box stores.”
Hilton Head Pharmacy is located at 5 Park Lane. Call them at 843-802-0215 or visit hhipharmacy.com.
