Business & Tech
Q & A: Ralph Ekstrand of Moby Drugs
The store opened in 1935 and the current owners of the pharmacy have seen three generations of Farmingdale families grow up.
“Hi, this is Ralph. How can I help you?” These have been the welcoming words for the past 30 years on the telephone line belonging to . The Main Street pharmacy has been a Farmingdale mainstay since 1935. Its owner, Ralph Ekstrand, is celebrating his 30th year as supervising pharmacist. The company is comprised of a full-service retail pharmacy as well as a long-term care pharmacy providing pharmaceutical services to agencies and nursing facilities.
Not only is Ekstrand a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association, the Long Island Pharmaceutical Society, the National Association of Community Pharmacies and the Pharmaceutical Society of the State of New York, but he is an elected trustee for the . He is also an active or past member of many community groups, including Cub Scout Pack 57, Bethpage Masonic Lodge, Farmingdale Breakfast Rotary Club, Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, Farmingdale United Methodist Church, and the Farmingdale Business District Improvement Committee. He received the Farmingdale Businessman of the Year Award in 1998.
What makes Moby Drugs different?
Ekstrand: When we bought the business in 1980, there were five full-service non-chain pharmacies in Farmingdale. Today we are the only one left. In 1982, a village clerk approached me about distributing prescribed drugs to group homes in Farmingdale. Today one-third of our business is providing these drugs to 54 group homes all over Long Island from Elmont to Southold. We serve homes with people afflicted with epilepsy, homes owned by Catholic Charities and the Center for Developmental Disabilities. In the 1990s, we began putting the patient’s individual prescriptions in blister packs for easier use. We keep up with technology too. We were one of the first pharmacies to use a computer database back in 1983.
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What is the hardest part of running a pharmacy in Farmingdale?
Ekstrand: Since I’m an elected village trustee, everyone knows where to find me. They tell me when their leaves haven’t been picked up. They tell me when their street hasn’t been plowed for snow. What is difficult is operating a pharmacy in New York State. We are completely over-regulated. There are so many agencies that visit us unannounced for spot checks. The Food and Drug Administration, the New York State Bureau of Narcotics, the New York State Board of Pharmacies, the New York Department of Health, the Nassau County Narcotics Department and the Nassau County Department of Health.
How is business in this economy?
Ekstrand: We’re always busy. People need their prescriptions filled. I fill 350 prescriptions per day and 90,000 prescriptions per year. We’ve got 16 full-time employees and three full-time drivers; two in Nassau County and one in Suffolk County. All of my employees live within a five mile radius of Farmingdale.
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What is the best/worst thing about running a business on Main Street?
Ekstrand: The best part is being able to help people. Having been in business for 30 years, we’ve watched three generations get older before our eyes: grandparents, parents, and their children grow up. We know many people on a first name basis. But our help can go only so far. It’s hard for us when our customers ask for recommendations on what type of medical plan to choose. We can’t do that. I have to explain that because of privacy laws, I can’t call their health provider for them.
What is your busiest time of the year?
Ekstrand: Winter flu season is our busiest time of year. Our business increases by 20%.
What are your most prescribed drugs? Besides drugs, what are your other popular items sold in the store?
Ekstrand: Lipitor, Pfizer’s cholesterol lowering statin, is the top-selling branded pharmaceutical in the world and it is for us too. Over the years, we’ve decreased the extra items outside of drugs on our shelves. We used to carry crayons, coloring books, and toys. We still carry shampoo, toothbrushes, and other necessities. I even sell them for less than the grocery stores. We’ve expanded our line of braces and medical devices.
