Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Fronce Barnes.
Dr. Barnes, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
“I always wanted to make medicine.”
I grew up in the small rural town of Bassfield, Mississippi. For many youths in my home town, the standard way out was playing football. However, l have always been a dreamer and a risk-taker with a far fetched dream to make medicine. I saw first hand the impact a lack of access to quality health care services could have on a community. Mississippi was always ranked last for health care and I saw the toll that the lack of preventive disease care was having on my own family. I knew then that I had to make an impact.
As the youngest son of educators, my parents always stressed education. I graduated second in my high school class and headed to Xavier University of Louisiana. Xavier was special because it was the number one producer of African American pharmacists at the time, so I knew I was one step closer to my dream of making medicine. After graduating from Xavier in 2008, I went on to work for Walmart Pharmacy in Dallas, and later CVS Mail Order.
In 2012, I knew it was finally time to take a leap of faith and step out on my own. On April 25, 2012, I opened Kearney Park Compounding Pharmacy and I haven’t looked back. People always ask what is compounding? Compounding by definition is the art and science of creating personalized medicine. Examples include creating a liquid version of a med for a child that can not swallow, making a hormone cream for a menopausal patient or gentleman with low testosterone level, or making a med for the giraffe at the zoo or a patient’s dog who has cancer, or even making a capsule with no fillers or gluten for a patient with an autoimmune disease. The options are limitless. Remember that little boy in Mississippi that wanted to make medicine… yep, mission accomplished. Compounding literally helps us create the perfect medication for patients.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
This story definitely didn’t happen overnight. There were many roadblocks and obstacles on this journey. A couple of my setbacks include trying to accrue initial capital, not taking a salary for two years, pretty much working every day for two years because I couldn’t afford to pay anyone else, trying to build a clientele, and lack of mentorship. In those first couples of years, I think I had to do a lot of recreating the wheel. It makes you appreciate the journey, but it can also be exhausting. My mom also took out a loan against her retirement initially to help me fulfill my dream. With that added pressure, I knew I couldn’t fail. It also reminds me of how hard it was to get favorable rates, loans, and contracts as a minority businessman starting out. God, my family, and my amazing support system have also given me the strength to keep pushing even when the road was rocky, and I’m forever grateful to them.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kearney Park Compounding Pharmacy story. Tell us more about the business.
Kearney Park Compounding Pharmacy today serves the full DFW Metroplex. We fill all retail meds, non-sterile compounds, and some specialty medicine. We pride ourselves on Top-notch customer service, and VIP treatment. We aim to keep the family-friendly environment where we know all our customers by name treatment alive. We are our customers “personal pharmacy team”. We also offer competitive pricing and discounts because we believe medication should be affordable. We are also known for our 24 hour turnaround time on compounds which is practically unheard of in the industry and we offer same-day delivery service.
Kearney Park Compounding pharmacy is always expanding. We currently offer natural herbs, CBD Oil, and genetic testing. Also, later this fall, our functional medicine/wellness consultations (weight loss, hormones, autoimmune) will begin. Our goal is to to help all patients get to the root cause of their health issues and help them live their best lives.
Kearney Park’s newest venture is concierge medicine. Basically, it’s medicine on demand. We will give our patients personalized service from the moment the prescription is received. The prescription will be processed and then, same day delivered for a small fee. Imagine the busy mom never having to leave her sick baby, or not having to leave your loved one that is recovering from surgery. We will do the work so that you can focus on your loved ones. The patients will have access to a pharmacist on demand at all times.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think some people may say I’m lucky, but I’m a firm believer in God’s divine providence and that he has placed me in every opportunity good and bad for a specific reason. I try not to focus or question the bad too much, but instead, see what lesson I need to learn in the meantime. As far as the good opportunities, I am blessed and I can’t help but thank God for His goodness.
Contact Info:
- Address: 502 W Kearney St Suite 900 Mesquite, TX 75149
- Website: Kpprx.org
- Phone: 9723291168
- Email: kpprx1@gmail.com
- Instagram: Kpprx
- Facebook: Kearney Park Compounding Pharmacy
- Twitter: Kpprxorg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kearney-park-pharmacy-mesquite?utm_source=ishare
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