It may sound cliche, but pharmacies are only as good as the people that staff and run them.

You can have the best equipment, the most efficient processes, the lowest prices, and a convenient location at the busiest intersection in town, but if you don’t have a good team to take care of your customers, none of that matters much.

Heartland Pharmacy is so blessed to have fantastic people at each of our locations, and we wanted to put a spotlight on a few of them in the coming months. We thought you’d like to get to know a little bit more about the folks who greet you with a smile every time you walk in!

Tim Schulte is a relatively new addition to our Heartland Fayetteville team. He’s worked as a pharmacist in Northwest Arkansas for a number of years now, but his enthusiasm for taking good care of our customers is just as fresh as when he first started:

Q: When did you first consider pharmacy as a career? And what was it about it that appealed to you? 

A: I grew up in pharmacy. My dad was a pharmacist and from the earliest age, that’s what I knew. My first job was working on Saturdays, cleaning the bathrooms and doing odd jobs around the pharmacy.

And as I got older, I moved into a delivery driver role. And then when I was 18, I started teching. And I actually didn’t even go to school originally to do that. I wanted to coach and teach. I went home summer between my freshman and sophomore year, and worked with him. And I was like, you know what? This is it – this is what I want to do, because I enjoyed it. 

Q: What are some things that you like most about being a pharmacist? 

A: Well, obviously, the number one thing is you have to love people. You have to. And that’s why you do it. Ultimately, it’s all about relationships, whether it’s your family or friends, all the way down to customer service. Two things – they want to be loved and they want to be cared for. That’s it. When people come in, they want to feel like they’re part of what’s going on here. And that’s what we try to do. 

Q: You’ve worked at a few different pharmacies over your career, but what attracted you to Heartland Pharmacy?

A: The thing that attracted me most to Heartland is when I came in and interviewed was just the family atmosphere. I could tell there was a culture that had already been developed that went right along with what I believe is the ultimate as far as taking care of customers and loving and caring for them.

And then when I met the staff, I could tell that from the top down that’s the culture that’s been developed and not just work-related and customer service-related, but also family related. There is a big emphasis on our families. And that’s what I want, and that’s what I need right now at this point in my life. 

Q: What do you like best about the day to day of your job? 

A: I love challenges. I love doing something new. Coming into a pharmacy that compounds has been awesome just to know that and learn that. And the people. My fellow coworkers – getting to know them and invest in their lives, and them in me – that’s what it’s all about.

Q: If somebody was thinking about switching to Heartland, what would you say to them?

A: Heartland is a family-owned pharmacy. I mean, there are a lot out there that claim to be independent. But this is truly an independent pharmacy. And if you want to be known and taken care of on a personal basis, this is where you need to come.