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COLUMBUS, Ohio – DeAnn Mullins, the retired owner and clinical director of Mullins Pharmacy, Wildflower Apothecary and WeCare Wellness, formerly located in Lynn Haven, Fla., was awarded the 2024 John W. Dargavel Medal by the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation as part of NCPA’s Annual Convention, being held Oct. 26-29 in Columbus, Ohio.
The McKesson Corporation sponsors the annual award that honors an individual whose contributions on behalf of independent pharmacy embody the spirit of leadership and accomplishment personified by John W. Dargavel, who was executive secretary of the National Association of Retail Druggists, now NCPA, from 1933-1961. In fact, the NCPA Foundation was established in 1953 to honor Dargavel.
A graduate of Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Mullins inspired, educated, and fought for patient rights for years and has exemplified the belief that pharmacists must be proactive both inside and outside their pharmacies. Her second-generation family pharmacy served as a national model for establishing clinical services by becoming the first pharmacy in the state of Florida, and one of the first in the nation, to be paid by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for diabetes training. She went on to educate and train over 2,000 patients, including over 500 insulin pump-starts.
Mullins has held significant roles on advisory boards and committees for organizations such as her alma mater, the NCPA Board of Directors, the NCPA Innovation Center, Cardinal Health Women in Pharmacy, PrescribeWellness, Gulf Coast State College, HealthSouth Hospital, and Vagisil. She served as president of NCPA from 2016-2017. She was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott in 2011 to the Florida Board of Pharmacy and was an early member of the Pharmacist Services Technical Advisory Coalition, selected by CMS to provide expert feedback and guidance in standardizing the mediation therapy management process.
She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Mylan Excellence in Pharmacy Award; the Samford University Professional Service Award; the Eli Lilly Award for Ethics, Scholarship and Leadership; the ASHP Leadership Award; and the Florida Pharmacy Association Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award. She was inducted into Phi Lambda Sigma, the national Pharmacy Leadership Society, reflecting her dedication to advancing the profession of pharmacy.
Like most independent pharmacists, Mullins has been active in her community as well. She has served as an officer or board member for the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, the Bay United Soccer Club, the YMCA, and other organizations. In 2020, Mullins was recognized with a key to the city by the Lynn Haven City Commission for her contributions. Additionally, she was active in her church as a youth Sunday School teacher and fitness ministry volunteer.
Though retired, Mullins continues to be a dynamic force in the pharmacy community as she shares her wealth of knowledge and experience to support the growth and success of independent pharmacies. She and her husband, Ken, have been married for 35 years and have two children, Stevie-Marie and Kennedy.
