There’s a reason that patients love Digvijay Raol, Pharm.D., the pharmacy manager at Walgreens #4874 in La Grange Highlands, Illinois. Regardless of how busy he is, Dr. Raol—known as V.J. to his customers—makes sure that all of his customers’ needs are met, regardless of whether they’re a regular patient of his or not.

“I have never seen a pharmacist that seemed to be more involved in caring for his customers,” one customer says of Dr. Raol. 

As well as focusing on his customers, Dr. Raol is also committed to training students and trainees, something he has done throughout his career. As a preceptor for Midwestern College of Pharmacy and UIC College of Pharmacy, he takes an active involvement in mentoring students. And rather than assigning students with menial tasks, Dr. Raol aims to “teach them everything they need to know” about what it takes to be successful in pharmacy.

“Since I started working, I’ve always mentored students at my pharmacy,” Dr. Raol explains. “When they graduate, I see them progress. A lot of them end up working for Walgreens, and now they’re floating around or managing their own stores.” 

Dr. Raol’s dedication to patient care is what led him to receive customer nominations in the 2022 Best of the Best Pharmacy Awards, but it’s his focus on leading the next generation that led him to be named Best Pharmacy Mentor.

What inspired you to become a pharmacist?

When I was in undergrad, I knew I wanted to do something in the health field because that’s what drew my attention the most. I chose pharmacy because it’s the most accessible healthcare profession. 

I’ve been working as a pharmacist for a long time in Walgreens, and I have so many patients that have been coming to me for years. As pharmacists and techs, we build long-term relationships with the patients. I know what’s going on in their lives because every time they come in, they talk to me, so I like that. 

People feel more comfortable talking to pharmacists. A lot of times they go to the doctor and the doctors will be in and out of the room in just a few minutes. Sometimes they’ll come to me and ask me questions because they’re confused. They really appreciate that the pharmacist is more accessible and more comfortable to talk to. 

Do you get involved with mentoring pharmacy students? 

I am a preceptor for Midwestern School of Pharmacy and UIC School of Pharmacy. I try to keep one or two students employed at my pharmacy. There are three or four pharmacy schools nearby. I get students who will do rotations at my pharmacy for six weeks. I’ll teach them everything they need to know. I’ll have them do all the pharmacist tasks, not just filling in prescriptions all day. 

People feel more comfortable talking to pharmacists. …. They really appreciate that the pharmacist is more accessible and more comfortable to talk to.

I’ve always mentored students at my pharmacy. One person I mentored just became a manager at a Walgreens in Milwaukee. It’s nice to keep in touch and see them progress from students into pharmacy careers of their own—many of them working at Walgreens!

How do you mentor and train your staff?

I try to train my staff so they know how to do everything—not just one staff member, but everyone. I’ve been at this current location at Walgreens for almost 10 years now. And when other pharmacists come to work at my store, they always compliment it. They tell me they like working here because everyone knows what they’re doing, so it’s not stressful.

What advice do you give to students navigating pharmacy school? 

I tell them to expose themselves to different parts of the pharmacy, to see what they like—pharmacy is not just retail chains. Whether it’s working for drug manufacturers or being a medical pharmacist, I encourage students to explore. There are a lot of different opportunities to consider. 

As for patients, how do you go above and beyond?

If someone comes to me with a problem, I try to put myself in their position. For example, there was a woman who needed to start her fertility medicine. She uses a specialty pharmacy and they sent her the medicine, but they didn’t send her syringes for it. She didn’t know what type of syringe to use or what needle size. With those medicines, it’s very critical to start at the exact time and day specified. 

If someone comes to me with a problem, I try to put myself in their position.

I asked her all the questions about what medicine she’s on, and then I helped her choose the syringes that she needed. She was very thankful. She was not even our patient. She just came to us because she didn’t know what else to do. 

What do you think makes a great pharmacist? 

You have to be caring, know how to care about people, and be a good listener. A lot of times, people are frustrated or they’re sick or they just don’t have anyone at home. They’re lonely, so they’ll come and talk to the pharmacist. You have to be a good listener. A lot of times I just listen and I just say I’ll pray for you if they’re sick or if they’ve been diagnosed with something. 

Being good at multitasking would be another attribute of a good pharmacist because we’re doing so many different things in pharmacies, not just prescriptions anymore. And then working well with others because in order to run a smooth pharmacy, it’s not just you. You’re working with a whole bunch of people, including technicians, students, and even doctors and nurses. You’ve got to work well and have good relationships with everyone.