The “Team Spotlight” series will allow you to meet one of Wells Pharma’s highly experienced experts. This professional/personal look will help you get to know who we are, and give an inside look at how our team members work to achieve our goal of becoming a market leader in the 503B Outsourcing industry.
Stan Pflueger – Director of Government Accounts & Sales Administration
What do you do at Wells Pharma?
I serve a dual role at Wells Pharma. As Director of Sales, I assist our VP of Sales in supporting the sales team with the technology tools – our CRM and online ordering portal, data reporting and other support – they need to be successful.
As a Sales Representative, I work with our Federal Government partners – Veteran’s Administration, Department of Defense, and Indian Health Services hospitals – to get them the compounded sterile preparations they need for their patients.
What do you like best about working with customers/clients?
I love solving problems for customers! I am a problem-solver by nature. I love being faced with a challenge by someone who says, “That won’t work,” or “We can’t do that.” When I hear those phrases, I have two responses:
- Why can’t we do that? Is there a really good reason we are saying we can’t do it this way, or have we just blindly accepted someone else’s answer without fully understanding if we can do that?
- If the answer to the first question is, “Yes, we really can’t do it that way,” then I begin looking for another solution. There is almost always another way to accomplish any goal. I was raised on a farm, and an expression I often heard was, “There’s always another way around the barn.” No matter what direction you go when you try to go around the barn, there is always another way to get there. Go the other direction.
In your opinion, what value(s) do customers gain by working with Wells Pharma?
I would describe Wells Pharma’s unique value proposition this way: Wells Pharma provides a consistent supply of competitively priced and high-quality medications to our customers. While other suppliers will emphasize their quality, Wells Pharma is truly a quality leader in the industry.
Last year, we were inspected by the Texas Department of State Health Services, Drugs and Medical Devices Group. This is the entity that inspects all pharmaceutical manufacturers operating in the state. They found no deficiencies or violations. In June of this year, the FDA completed a three-week inspection of our facility, and made only one “observation” from that inspection. Most of the other suppliers in the industry received 6-10 observations from their most recent FDA inspection. That was a huge accomplishment!
In addition, Wells Pharma uses “anticipatory” production to ensure that we have products available for customers who are ordering on a regular basis. Our investment in automation and technology has enhanced our quality, while at the same time, increasing our production capacity. Finally, we are committed to being a cost-effective supplier for our customers. Our competitive pricing ensures that our customers are not overpaying for the consistent supply of high-quality medications they need.
Why are you proud to work at Wells Pharma?
There are a couple of reasons why I am proud to work at Wells Pharma:
- I know many of our staff members by having worked with them at a previous 503B Outsourcing company. I know them personally and professionally, and I can say without hesitation that they approach their job responsibilities with the care and attention as if they were making these medications for their own families. This is more than a job to them. It is truly a calling to a higher purpose, and that purpose is to improve the lives of the patients entrusted to our customers’ care.
- From the leadership to the rank-and-file employees, we all recognize the importance of being a team. While we take the time to celebrate individual accomplishments, we all understand that we succeed or fail together. Every division and every employee within these divisions understands that while they are critical to our success, the company is equally dependent on their colleagues in the other divisions for success. When a link in the chain needs to be supported and strengthened, we all have a responsibility to be part of that support.
What are the biggest challenges faced by Wells Pharma and its customers in the current healthcare environment?
Right now, the biggest challenge Wells Pharma and its customers face is uncertainty. Uncertainty around peoples’ response to the scientific evidence supporting our healthcare system, the pandemic, staffing, and the consistent supply of tools needed to improve the lives of patients. As a company, Wells Pharma cannot solve these larger societal questions, but we have committed ourselves to provide a consistent supply of competitively priced and high-quality medications to our customers so they can fulfill their mission to provide the best possible healthcare experience for the patients entrusted to their care. We are investing in full automation of our manufacturing processes so that we remove as much of the uncertainty from our process as possible. We are scheduled to begin bringing this automation online later this year and have it fully operational in 2022.
What is the one lesson you’ve learned in the industry that has helped you most?
Make time to listen to, and actually hear, what your customers need! As a sales professional, it is tempting to get into a conversation with a potential customer with my agenda items at the top of the list. However, my conversations need to revolve around understanding their needs and discussing the issues they are facing. Once I do that, then I can offer a solution.