Nextdoor Drug Approved for VCEDA Seed Capital Grant
LEBANON, VA — AUGUST 24, 2020 — When Jackie Hackney, Clint Lawson and Nicole Bostic met at the Appalachian College of Pharmacy in 2005, they agreed that someday — after graduation — they would open their own pharmacy. On Saturday, August 29, the three classmates who graduated in 2008 with their doctor of pharmacy degrees will open Nextdoor Drug, a recent recipient of a $10,000 seed capital matching grant from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority.
After graduation, Bostic, originally from Buchanan County, Va., and Lawson, from Wise County, Va., married. They and Hackney, who is from Russell County, Va., went their separate ways with Clint working in retail pharmacy; Nicole working in retail and then hospital pharmacy; and Jackie, teaching at ACP for a couple of years and then going into clinical pharmacy. At the end of last year, plans for the new pharmacy business in Lebanon, Va., were solidified and began to take shape as the business was set up as a professional corporation, Nextdoor Drug Pharmacy, PC.
“VCEDA was pleased to approve seed capital funding for Nextdoor Drug,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “According to their application, three full-time and two part-time jobs are projected within the first year and within five years, they are projecting five full-time and five part-time jobs.”
VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher, center, presents a ceremonial VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Grant check for $10,000 to Jackie Hackney and Clint Lawson, of Nextdoor Drug. At left are Russell County Industrial Development Authority Chairman Ernie McFaddin and SWCC Small Business Development Center Program Manager Margie Douglass. Not pictured is Nicole Lawson, one of the co-owners.
“The seed capital matching grant was definitely a shot in the arm, especially during this pandemic which has delayed our opening plans,” Hackney said referencing COVID-19 and its impact on their new business.
Clint Lawson noted funds from the seed capital grant are being used for initial inventory and costs associated with opening the new full-service pharmacy.
In addition to filling doctor-ordered prescriptions, Nextdoor Drug also has high-quality over the counter medications, which Hackney said have been chosen for their lack of additives and preservatives, but which are comparable in price to other OTC medicines.
The new business also offers a medically supervised weight management program utilizing Ideal Protein products. Earlene Combs is the full-time health coach employed at Nextdoor Drug. Bioidenticial hormone consultations are also offered which can assist with various hormone-related issues from hot flashes and night sweats to low testosterone or thyroid issues, weight gain, mood swings and other symptoms associated with hormone imbalance. A hormone-free make-up line, Jane Iredale, is also offered and plans are to build in skin services, Hackney said.
The pharmacy works with physicians in collaborative agreements which allow pharmacists to make recommendations to their customer’s supervising physician, creating a team approach to medication management. The pharmacy will also offer medication synchronization to assist customers in getting their prescription refills on the same schedule, thereby cutting down on necessary trips to the pharmacy for medication refills. Free consultations are also available.
A drive-thru window, curbside service and delivery service round out the pharmacy offerings. Customers may also download and use the local app, “Rx Local,” on their smartphones to request refills on their prescriptions once those prescriptions have been filled for the first time at Nextdoor Drug.
Hackney and the Lawsons worked with Margie Douglass, program manager of the Small Business Development Center at Southwest Virginia Community College. The Russell County Industrial Development Authority provided a letter of support for the project as well.
Nextdoor Drug, located at 932 West Main Street in Lebanon, is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays and may be reached at 276-221-9933. A website and Facebook page are expected to be added in the near future.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.