Mike Flint, RPh
“I shall pass this way but once, any good, therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I may never pass this way again.”
Save the Day
My Name is John Michael Flint Jr. Most people call me “Mike”. I am the President of Guardian Pharmacy of Wisconsin. Guardian Pharmacy of Wisconsin is comprised of 3 long term care pharmacies located in Madison, Menomonee Falls, and Milwaukee. We provide pharmacy services to over 10,000 patients who reside in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, and group homes in Wisconsin and Illinois. I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I moved to Madison, Wisconsin to earn my Pharmacy degree in 1979 at the University of Wisconsin and have stayed here ever since.
“Save the Day” has become our daily affirmation at our pharmacies. Our 150 employees work tirelessly 24/7 to provide the best pharmacy services to our residents. In addition to servicing the residents, we partner with caregivers, nurses, physicians, and administrators by implementing the latest pharmacy technology in each of their respective long term care communities. Our unique pharmacy model allows us to meet the complex needs of every resident we serve.
HOW DID I GET HERE?
Upon earning my degree in 1981, I began my career as a pharmacist and entrepreneur at Mallatt’s Pharmacy, a small retail pharmacy established in 1924, located on the near west side of Madison.
My company, Mike Flint Enterprises, Inc. purchased Mallatt’s Pharmacy in 1992.
Over the next 20 years I acquired 3 retail pharmacies and a home health agency.
I also converted Mike Flint Enterprises Inc into an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) in 2013 to promote ownership with my employees. I believe when people “own” something they will take great pride and responsibility in the work they do.
In my “spare” time in 1981, I started a group purchasing organization for independently owned pharmacies like myself. The Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) is a group purchasing organization located in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Over the past 30 years I have served as the Chairman of the Board and CEO. Currently, IPC provides goods and services at substantially reduced prices to its 3,000 plus members.
I started our long-term care pharmacy, Mallatt’s Homecare Pharmacy in 2002 and acquired a small long term care pharmacy, Valu-Care Pharmacy in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin in 2015. It did not take long for the long term care pharmacies in Madison and Menominee Falls to be significant contributors to the success of our business. Both operations grew quickly.
The retail pharmacy operations were steady, but not growing at the same pace as the long term care pharmacies.
I decided to divest ourselves from the retail pharmacy businesses in 2016 to focus on our long term care pharmacies.
In 2018, I partnered with a national long term care pharmacy organization called Guardian Pharmacy Services. Guardian Pharmacy Services consists of 37 long term care pharmacies located in numerous states. Guardian Pharmacy Services provides human resources, purchasing, financial and licensing support so we can focus on resident care at the local level. In addition, Guardian acquired another long term care pharmacy, Prescriptions Plus in West Allis, Wisconsin. We changed our name from Mallatt’s Homecare Pharmacy and Prescriptions Plus to Guardian Pharmacy of Wisconsin.
AN OUT SIZED IMPACT ON PHARMACY
We began creating innovative ways for our retail pharmacy customers to take their medications timely and correctly way before the pharmacy industry decided that “compliance” was a thing. We were the first pharmacy to package medications in weekly pill planners for our customers. Long term care facility operators took note of this activity and invited us to the table to talk about how we could expand our services to meet the needs of their residents. Mallatt’s Homecare Pharmacy was born.
The creation of the Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) made a huge impact on how the whole pharmacy industry distributed and priced their pharmaceutical products and services. IPC forced the pharmacy manufacturing and distributing businesses to lower their prices by implementing a competitive bidding process. This action by IPC has reduced the cost of medication for customers, insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid to the tune of billions of dollars.
I am laser focused on long term care pharmacy. With the help of Guardian Pharmacy Services we will “disrupt” the long term care industry by providing unique services to the long term care communities.
“Save the Day”.
Mike Flint 