DBT40 Honoree: Bhavin Patel

Title: Pharmacist & Owner

Workplace: Prices Corner Pharmacy

Age: 35

Before he was running his own pharmacy, Bhavin Patel grew up working at his parents’ convenience store in a small Illinois town. There, while delivering groceries and shoveling driveways on snow days, Patel learned that he loved being the person everyone called whenever they needed something. It’s what he wanted in his career.

Patel graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 2010 and started his career as a pharmacist at Walmart Pharmacy in Wilmington. He worked his way up to manage Walmart’s Northeast region, but after a decade he was feeling unfulfilled.

Last year, he finally decided to go after what he always wanted but was scared to pursue: He opened his own independent pharmacy – in the midst of a global pandemic and the week his son was born (by the time Patel had rushed over to the hospital from Prices Corner Pharmacy, his son had made his debut).

Patel handles several responsibilities at Prices Corner Pharmacy in Wilmington, from patient care to business development, while staying on top of an ever-changing health care landscape.

The nature of Patel’s work placed him on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. He administered more than 75 tests a day. He opened his pharmacy earlier and closed it later, even drove to where his patients were to ensure they were cared for safely. Patel organized two vaccination events at Stanton Middle School, where more than 1,000 people were vaccinated. Prices Corner Pharmacy has administered well over 3,000 vaccines onsite so far.

Outside of fighting the pandemic and running Prices Corner Pharmacy, Patel recently donated medical supplies and household essentials to help the West End Neighborhood House project to establish new homes for youth experiencing homelessness. When he and his wife, who he met in pharmacy school, aren’t chasing their sons around, Patel builds furniture. He just finished his son’s superhero toddler bed.