McDowell’s Pharmacy Earns National Award for Putting Patients First

Scotland Neck, NC — In a time when healthcare can feel increasingly corporate and impersonal, one small-town pharmacy is making national headlines for doing the opposite: listening, caring, and innovating with heart.

McDowell’s Pharmacy, a family-run pharmacy that has served Scotland Neck and surrounding communities for more than a century, has been named a 2025 Clinical Care Champion by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and Good Neighbor Pharmacy. The award is part of the national Good Neighbor Pharmacy Champions initiative, which recognizes just five independent pharmacies across the country each year for excellence in personalized care and patient impact.

“This award validates our mission to use technology in a way that still feels personal,” said Thomas McDowell, a fourth-generation pharmacist and owner of McDowell’s Pharmacy, which is family-owned alongside Medical Park Pharmacy in Rocky Mount, NC. “At the end of the day, it’s about listening to our patients and helping them thrive.”

That mission has led McDowell’s Pharmacy to stand out not only in North Carolina but on a national stage. While many rural pharmacies struggle to keep up with fast-changing models of care, McDowell’s has embraced them—without sacrificing its small-town touch.

Their award-winning work includes a cutting-edge Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) program, launched in partnership with Truentity Health, that allows the pharmacy to track key health vitals like blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight for patients with chronic conditions. The program is designed to reduce hospital visits and improve overall health outcomes—especially for seniors and vulnerable patients who may struggle with regular appointments or transportation.

“We were already delivering medications to porches during the pandemic,” McDowell said in a recent interview. “This was the next logical step — bringing healthcare directly into the home.”

The RPM program has already shown results: patients are more engaged in their care, hospital readmissions are down, and trust between provider and patient continues to grow.

But for McDowell and his team, the real success is in the relationships. The award, he says, is not just a trophy, but a reflection of the countless conversations, front porch visits, and check-ins with families they’ve served for generations—both at McDowell’s Pharmacy in Scotland Neck and their sister location, Medical Park Pharmacy in Rocky Mount.

“This isn’t just a pharmacy—it’s part of the fabric of this town,” McDowell said. “We know our patients by name. We know their kids, their stories. Being able to use technology to enhance those relationships—not replace them—is something we’re really proud of.”

According to NCPA and Good Neighbor Pharmacy, this year's Clinical Care Champion honorees were chosen for programs that deliver measurable patient results, offer innovative clinical services, and stay deeply connected to their communities. In McDowell’s case, it’s a formula that blends innovation with humanity, something the town of Scotland Neck has known for decades—and now, the rest of the country sees it too.

As larger pharmacy chains scale up and automation becomes the norm, McDowell’s Pharmacy offers a reminder that being present, being personal, and being rooted still matters.

And for those in the region who’ve long trusted McDowell’s for their care, the national spotlight comes as no surprise.

“We’re honored,” McDowell said. “But more than anything, we’re grateful to be able to serve the community that raised us.”