Birmingham AL, business — Ankit “AJ” Patel, owner of Eastwood Pharmacy. photo via Kristina O’Quinn for Bham Now

Did you know there is a pharmacy in Birmingham that has free delivery? How about the fact that an independent pharmacy even exits?! Eastwood Pharmacy has that and more, and Ankit “AJ” Patel tells us all about it in this week’s edition of Small Business Monday.

Eastwood Pharmacy has been open at 4500 Montevallo Rd for sixteen months, almost a year and a half. We have three employees total as well as Samford and Auburn students who rotate throughout the year to learn about how independent pharmacy works.

We offer all prescription drugs and over the counter medication. We also have natural and organic household items such as shampoos, soaps, lotions, detergents, essential oils, supplements, and pet and children’s products. We also carry a great dollar item section. We also provide free delivery to our patients.

We carry a few products that are higher quality than the conventional products found at most pharmacies. We are the only pharmacy in our area that provides free delivery to our patients.

We truly believe in clean and healthy living. That is why we carry many of the natural and organic products that can be complimentary to many treatments. We do believe not everything has to always be treated with conventional medication. If there are certain supplements and therapies that can help alleviate symptoms, then we are more than happy to carry that product or special order it.

I want people to know that we are a traditional retail pharmacy offering all the same copays and perks as the chain pharmacies, however, we provide free delivery as well as excellent customer service.

The hardest thing about being a small business owner is getting the word out about our business. As a small business with limited resources, it can be a daunting task trying to spread the word about our location and services.

Being able to take care of your customers in the way that you think is best without any rigid corporate regulations is the most rewarding thing about being a small business owner. The overwhelming community support from the Eastwood community is by far has been the greatest asset to our business.

Growing up in a small town in Alabama, I have seen Birmingham transform into a wonderful city where many young people are starting to become attracted to move for work or visit for leisure. I do believe this trend will continue and with new energetic youth driving growth in the city, Birmingham can continue to grow and develop its own cultural identity similar to many other metropolitan cities. As long as the residents of Birmingham continue to show energetic support for the development of our city, the possibilities are endless!