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Monday, Sep. 07, 2009

40 years behind the pharmacy counter: Merced man loves service role

Bill Collins figures a combination of his upbringing, faith, core values and professional career has given him the heart of a servant, someone who's always willing to help others in need.

Collins has been a pharmacist at Long's Drugs/CVS Pharmacy since its store opened at the then-brand new Merced Mall 40 years ago. The 65-year-old longtime Mercedian has no regrets about his career choice or the direction his life has taken.

"I love people and enjoy being around them," Collins said. "A lot of that comes from my Christian upbringing and putting other people's needs above your own."

More than a year ago, Collins stepped back from managing the pharmacy to working four days a week as a staff pharmacist, dispensing medication to customers. In four decades, he said the task of a pharmacist has changed from being just a dispenser of pills to more of a counseling role.

Physician's assistant Ken Miller, also a member of Merced's First Baptist Church, said Collins has been a good pal, a loyal and faithful friend when someone is in need.

"He goes above and beyond doing all he can to ease suffering," Miller said. "He's a good man, a good guy and a reasonably OK golfer. He raised three good kids and has been active in the community."

Collins landed in Merced more by happenstance than design. Fresh out of pharmacy school, he happened to be driving through Merced and stopped to get gas. He looked around and discovered there was an opening at the new Merced store.

"I felt very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time," he recalled. "Ten months out of school, I was offered the pharmacy managership. At the time, Sears and Longs were the only major tenants at the mall. There were cow pastures across the street where the medical offices are now."

In about a year's time, Collins is thinking about at least semi-retiring. While he wants to keep his hand in the profession, scaling back would give him more time to visit the sick and shut-ins, lifting their sagging spirits.

"I enjoy helping people and meeting their needs," Collins said. "I had to care for my grandparents and have always had a heart for older people. I still do, now that I am one. It's part of the way I was raised to care about people."

Collins said it gives him a good feeling to help people. Being a pharmacist only enhances that opportunity. Modern medicine is extending life, and the Internet offers both positive and negative effects. More information about drugs and what they do is good, but can lead to problems when people self-diagnose themselves and don't consult experts about proper doses of medicine, the pharmacist warned.

During his career, Collins said he has worked for 10 store managers and pharmacy supervisors at Longs and CVS and has seen many distinct personalities, styles and operational changes. For the most part, he has enjoyed the people who worked for him and considers them just like family.

Longtime friend Jim Maynard said Collins is a principled man who has been consistent.

"Bill may not have been right about everything but he was never in doubt about anything -- especially when it comes to his faith, love for God and his family," Maynard said. "Bill has been unwilling to compromise his beliefs; he's always consistent and faithful."

Collins was born in Lindsay, one of four children who grew up on a small farm. He graduated from Strathmore High School in 1962 and attended what was then Fresno State College from 1962-65. He was a pre-med major in college until a pharmacist at the Long's Drugs in Fresno -- where he was a box boy in the garden shop -- influenced him to go into pharmacy.

Transferring to the University of the Pacific Pharmacy School in Stockton, Collins graduated in 1969 with a bachelor of science degree and completed his four-year residency in pharmacy school.

During that time he was class president and president of the pharmacy school. He interned for three years at a Long's pharmacy in Visalia.

Collins has no idea how many prescriptions he has filled over 40 years, but said it's easily in the thousands. Nowadays a pharmacist is more involved in counseling people over their drug choices than in years past.

Pharmacy technician Eleanor Valtierra has known Collins for 18 years. She said he has been a strong teacher and has trained many people. He's firm and gets the job done, she adds.

For 25 years, Collins has been the facilitator for a Wednesday evening Bible study at First Baptist Church.

"I've helped a lot of men get through crisis in their lives," Collins said. "It gives me a good feeling in my heart to meet a need that God has put before me, taking care of the family of God."

Collins said CVS holds the same goals that Longs' Drugs had: providing the best customer service possible.

Vern Loveall of Atwater has known Collins for about 16 years and said he's a wonderful guy. "He's a good family man," Loveall said. "He's always there to help."

Collins and his wife, Meri, a supervisor of medical assistants at Merced Faculty Associates, have three grown children and nine grandchildren from 1 to 13 years of age.

His daughter, Tammy Borges, 39, teaches music, piano, voice and choir at Stoneridge Christian School and Fremont Charter School. His son, Doug, 33, is principal at Sheehy School, and son Greg, 36, is a pharmacy supervisor with CVS in La Quinta near Palm Springs.

The doctor's Hippocratic Oath -- "First, do no harm" -- hasn't been enough for Collins. He's spent his life trying to do good.