REUNION
Honoring excellence Each year, the College of Pharmacy Alumni Association recognizes outstanding graduates during Reunion. Here, we meet the all-stars of 2013 RENNY KURUP, pharmd ’04 Winner, 2013 Rising Star Award EARLY RISER: Kurup started his career at CVS as an overnight pharmacist. Later, he was promoted to pharmacy manager at the store, which was named the region’s best in customer service under his leadership. Kurup also aided victims of Hurricane Katrina and was featured in national CVS commercials. THINKING BIG: In late 2007, Kurup left CVS to broaden his work experience. He took a job with a long-term-care pharmacy, served as director of a homeinfusion pharmacy, and picked up shifts at an independent pharmacy. These moves were strategic. Kurup wanted to explore different environments so he could determine what type of pharmacy he wanted to establish on his own. MAKING HIS MART: In July 2010, Kurup opened Halsted Health Mart Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy
located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Since then, the pharmacy has expanded from a staff of two to 20, growth that Kurup attributes to developing working relationships with neighboring physicians. He and his staff pride themselves on welcoming every person who enters the pharmacy. GIVING BACK: Since 2010, Kurup has served as a preceptor for UIC fourth-year pharmacy students and employs many first-, second-, and third-year students. Kurup says he believes in merging the “pharmatopia” of pharmacy school with real-life experience at his store. Many UIC students have played an active role in the growth of the pharmacy, implementing changes such as administering immunizations with flu and travel clinics, building a prescription compounding laboratory to provide custom medications, and implementing a pharmacy automation system. Kurup says he enjoys teaching pharmacy students and showing them that independent pharmacy is poised to make a comeback. WHAT’S NEXT: Kurup hopes to expand his business and run three independent pharmacies in Chicago.