Consumer advocate and children\u27s rights champion Percy Malone wins hono

DuPriest, Sydney Slotkin

English

eGrove (Univ. of Mississippi)

University of Mississippi eGrove University of Mississippi News 4-18-2018 Former Arkansas Senator Named UM Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year Sydney Slotkin DuPriest Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/umnews Recommended Citation DuPriest, Sydney Slotkin, "Former Arkansas Senator Named UM Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year" (2018). University of Mississippi News. 1901. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/umnews/1901 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Mississippi News by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact egrove@olemiss.edu. Search this website … SearchPercy Malone (center), who founded AllCare Pharmacyin 1972, is the UM School of Pharmacy’s 2018 Alumnusof the Year. Submitted photoFormer Arkansas Senator Named UM Pharmacy Alumnusof the YearConsumer advocate and children's rights champion Percy Malone wins honorAPRIL 18, 2018 BY SYDNEY SLOTKIN DUPRIESTOXFORD, Miss. – State senator, staterepresentative, pharmacist and University ofMississippi alumnus – of all Percy Malone’stitles, the one which he is proudest of isadvocate.The former Arkansas state senator and 1965pharmacy graduate is the School ofPharmacy‘s 2018 Alumnus of the Year. He hasspent his career fighting to represent theinterests of those who may be otherwiseoverlooked: namely, children, sick orincapacitated people and those living below thepoverty line.Originally from the small Mississippi Delta town of Rosedale, Malone’s parents had little education, buta strong work ethic.“I came from a meager background,” Malone said. “My mother told me, ‘The way out of poverty isthrough education.'”As a sixth-grader, Malone began working as a soda jerk in his local pharmacy, Lewis Drug Store. It wasthere he decided he wanted to become a pharmacist. After graduating from Rosedale High School, hecompleted his pre-pharmacy requirements at Delta State University before coming to the School ofPharmacy.“I had people tell me that I would never get into Ole Miss, and if I did, I would never get out,” Malonesaid. “I didn’t spend my energy trying to prove them wrong. I spent my energy on telling myself I coulddo it.”Malone recalls that he was not prepared for college, but that his professors at Delta State and Ole Missspent extra time with him. His sister, who worked at a factory, gave him a credit card to buy gas for hisold car. When he left Ole Miss on weekends to work at Lewis Drug Store, his mother sent him backwith enough food to eat for the next week.“It wasn’t easy, but I had a lot of people helping me, and I credit that for being able to get a goodeducation,” Malone said. “I’m not a self-made man.”After graduating, Malone found himself in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, one Sunday afternoon, speaking withI.B. Fuller, owner of a local drugstore, about a job. Fuller was looking to pass down the business, andMalone was looking to set down roots. Soon thereafter, Malone had stock in his first pharmacy.“I worked very hard for many years to say yes to patients who needed me,” Malone said. “If they calledme on Thanksgiving or Sunday or at night needing medicine, I wouldn’t tell them I was busy. I would go.”From there, Malone went on to become one of the state’s top pharmacy innovators. He founded AllCarePharmacy in 1972, which has grown to more than 17 community pharmacy locations across Arkansas.He had one of the first pharmacy computer systems in Arkansas and expanded his business to fillprescriptions for long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and correctional facilities, as well asspecialty prescriptions for complex diseases.As a pharmacist and businessperson, he focused on finding ways to be more efficient and patient-oriented. Malone’s concern for the consumer stemmed from the understanding his background hadgiven him of not being able to afford medicine.Read the story …Read the story …Follow us on socialCampus BriefsStudents Learn ‘Real Politics’ inWashington, D.C., Winter SessionOXFORD, Miss. – Eleven University ofMississippi students spent their winterbreak learning about the people who workbehind the scenes of the Americangovernment in Washington, D.C. Lead byJonathan Klingler, assistant professor ofpolitical science, the students of Pol 391:Applied Politics met not with candidates,but with the people who make candidates’More Posts from this CategoryThank You To OurDonorsYoung Alumna Gives Back to Schoolof AccountancyOXFORD, Miss. – Stephanie JenningsTeague, of Chicago, sees her commitmentof $100,000 to the Patterson School ofAccountancy‘s new building at theUniversity of Mississippi as a means ofsaying “thank you.” “It is a way to show asmall token of my appreciation to OleMiss, the faculty and staff, and theaccountingMore Posts from this CategoryOle Miss In the NewsReuters: Keep an Eye on the MoneySupplyU.S. inflation roller coaster prompts freshlook at long-ignored money supply ByMichael S. Derby NEW YORK – Theamount of money sloshing around the U.S.economy shrank last year for the first timeon record, a development that someeconomists believe bolsters the case forU.S. inflation pressures continuing toabate. The Federal Reserve’sNews Releases UM COVID-19 Video Gallery University Communications Ole Miss Homepage Ole Miss News BlogFacebookTwitterLin edInEmailCopyLinkSMSPrintFriendlySharFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInYouTubeChannelPercy Malone served threeterms as an Arkansas staterepresentative and five termsas an Arkansas state senator.Submitted photoIn an effort to do more for patients, he ran for state government, and in 1995, began his first of threeterms as an Arkansas state representative.“As a representative, Percy worked to bring generic drugs into Arkansas pharmacies, and the traditionalpharmacists did not like that,” said Donna Malone, Percy’s wife. “But he fought and he prevailed, andnow every drugstore in America has generic drugs available. He passed his savings on to theconsumer.”As one of the only people in the Arkansas Legislature at the time witha health care background, he also advocated to allow pharmacists toadminister immunizations and worked to pass evidence-basedmedicine in the state.Besides health care advocacy, Malone stumbled upon what wouldbecome his other focus while in the Legislature. On his first day as astate representative, Malone read a news article he couldn’t forgetabout an abused and neglected child. From then on, he made it hismission to introduce at least one measure per legislative sessionaimed at protecting children.Along with his wife, he helped expand the Children’s Advocacy Centersof Arkansas, where children could go to report abuse. Because of this,as well as the numerous child protection laws he initiated, theChildren’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas honored him with the firstSenator Percy Malone Child Protection Award in 2010, which is givento someone in Arkansas each year.He spent 18 years in the Legislature, eventually becoming a senator forfive terms, befriending then-future President Bill Clinton and continuingto fight for the vulnerable. He also has been lauded for his work pioneering innovative health caresolutions that benefit assisted and long-term care facilities and their residents.“Being in the Legislature, I was able to speak the words of the people who couldn’t speak forthemselves,” Malone said. “There are a lot of people that deserve a hand up and not a handout.”Malone’s generous spirit and care for those in need is well-known throughout the state.Misty Huerkamp, staff pharmacist at AllCare Pharmacy, is an Ole Miss pharmacy alumna andArkansas native who grew up hearing about Malone.“He pretty much goes by the name Percy, and everyone knows who you’re talking about,” Huerkampsaid. “He has done so much for the profession of pharmacy and so much to serve those around him,giving to those who need help or a little encouragement.”Another Ole Miss pharmacy grad, Lauren Lyles, met Malone in 2014 during her second year ofpharmacy school at the National Community Pharmacists Association annual meeting, after whichMalone became a mentor to her.“Percy values more than anything doing what is right instead of doing what is convenient,” Lyles said.“He has given back to broken communities that have suffered from generational poverty, domesticviolence and limited access to health care through his businesses, philanthropic efforts and legislativework.”Malone credits his Ole Miss education and the people he’s encountered for helping him to reach a placewhere he can freely give back.“Ole Miss gave me the opportunity to fail, and no one wants to fail,” Malone said. “It’s been a marvelouslife, and I’m very fortunate to be able to give. My upbringing taught me that once you’re on top of theladder, you don’t pull the ladder up behind you.”Malone will be honored Saturday (April 21) with the Alumnus of the Year Award at the School ofPharmacy’s awards banquet and reunion dinner at The Inn at Ole Miss.“The School of Pharmacy is humbled and honored to call Percy an alumnus,” said David D. Allen, theschool’s dean. “He is beyond deserving of this award, not only for his contributions to our profession, butfor the way he embodies the Ole Miss spirit.“He earned his influence by being a champion for vulnerable and forgotten people and has continued touse his time and resources for their benefit.”FILED UNDER: NEWS RELEASES, PHARMACY, SCHOOL OF PHARMACYRead the story …More Posts from this CategoryRetu rn  to  to p  o f  p a ge Copyright © 2023 · Th e Un iversity  o f  M ississ ip p i

Former Arkansas Senator Named UM Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year

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Former Arkansas Senator Named UM Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year

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