Meet Morgan Fordham Blanton, PharmD.: Pharmacist in Charge/ Co-Owner of Custom Pharmacy of North Augusta

We had the good fortune of connecting with Morgan Fordham Blanton, PharmD. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Morgan, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
My end goal is to have multiple pharmacy locations to allow me to expand our patient care to outside of the CSRA. I am constantly learning and have been personally been focusing on the veterinary aspect of the compounding world. Locally, I would like to become the compounding pharmacy that owners and veterinarians trust to bring all of their pets to when they need any medications in addition to all other compounded prescriptions. I would love to grow our company into a multi-state compounding-only pharmacy. Currently, I am a licensed pharmacist in GA and SC, and plan on becoming licensed in additional states as well as the Bahamas within the next few years. By the end of my career, I would like to be able to travel around to help other compounding pharmacies build a successful business. I want to be able to collaborate with as many other pharmacists as possible in order to ensure the best quality of care for patients and pets around the US and Bahamas.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Professionally, I am always striving to expand my knowledge with the compounding world to better serve our patients and keep up to date with newest ways to be as efficient as possible in addition to updated laws and regulations. It is a goal to become a trusted name for the physicians and patients in the CSRA I refresh our social media to continue to market our business and myself professionally. I’m always turning to fellow pharmacists to see how we can consistently grow to provide the best quality of care. I work on a daily basis to try to become more involved in our community and to show our support as much as possible. It is important to me that we continue to have a presence in our community instead of just throwing our logo on a sponsorship. I want to show up for our community in the same way that they have supported the North Augusta location over the past year.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh this is fun! I get together with my friends each week to keep up and hang out. This is something we do to keep each other sane! For brunch, I would go to Manuel’s in Hammonds Ferry or Frog & Hen for a delicious chicken biscuit with sausage gravy and bottomless mimosas. For lunch, I’d take them to Whiskey Bar Kitchen for a burger or Rhineharts if they want seafood. The dinner spot that I bring everyone to is hands down Becks. The environment, food and drinks never disappoint. On other nights, I would have to bring them to Raes Coastal Café so they can experience Augusta’s hidden gem. For other options, Craft & Vine as well as Finch & Fifth are high on the list. For drinks, going to Craft & Vine is a must! We might as well go there every night to have a ChamBong with Trevor because that is personally my favorite. Finch & Fifth would also be a top spot for the Bonefire Martini, Bravos and Brussels and drink specials on Tuesdays! I would love to show them around downtown to see the artwork, Augusta Candle Company, and Edgars Above Broad. I would finish the week off getting facials/massages at Cucumber & Mint. At night time for live music, I would have to either take them to Stay Social or ride the golf cart to SRP Park to go to Southbound. Augusta is such a fun city and the perfect place to call home! I can’t wait to raise a family here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are multiple people that instantly come to mind that are responsible for my success and personal growth: My dad played a major role in raising me to become the person I am today. Growing up, I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps in becoming a pharmacist and one day owning my own pharmacy. He has always taught me to never give up and to always believe in myself. He is the reason I never stopped chasing after my dreams no matter how many obstacles and challenges life has thrown me along the way. As I grew up, I watched him raise me and my two brothers alone to provide everything we needed or wanted while running a business. He has always put us first and made us a priority in his life. I strive to have his work ethic, and selflessness and hope to one day help as many people as he has.

The Holgate family became a huge part of my life in high school, and I claim them as my own family. After I began working for Eric when I was 16, I realized my passion was in compounding pharmacy. He has molded me into the compounding pharmacist that I am today and has taught me everything I know over the past 16 years. The Holgate’s have all been extremely supportive and have provided me the opportunity to help me reach my lifetime goal of owning a pharmacy before I was 30 years old when Eric asked me if I would become his partner to expand his company into North Augusta. I continue learning from him on a daily basis and hope to also follow his footsteps and to make them proud to be a part of their family.

Along the way, I have had amazing professors and mentors who I have to give credit to for not letting me give up. I am blessed to call them my friends and still keep in contact with them today. Isa Meeks is someone I have had the privilege to work for during my career and is someone I look up to personally and professionally. She is a role model not only for how I want people to perceive me, but also the pharmacy. Isa is always showing up for her employees, and community with a smile on her face while rocking red lip stick no matter what the attire.

Lastly, my circle of friends. They support all of my wild dreams and never tell me that I can’t do something. They are there for me through my highs and lows. They are my support system that not only is there to celebrate with me during the highs of my life, but they are also there with a bottle of wine and cookie dough during my lows. There are no words to show my appreciation for all they have done for me. They are my voice of reason and are the tough love that I always need.

Website: www.custompharmacyrx.com

Instagram: @custompharmacyna

Linkedin: Morgan “Mo” Blanton

Facebook: Custom Pharmacy of North Augusta

Image Credits
Alyssa Rodriguez Photography (@alyssarodriguezphotography16)