Erica Dupree

Patient-focused. Professional. Composed.

Current Employer & Job Title: Kinney Drugs, Pharmacist

Age: 41

Hometown: Cadyville, NY

Education: Albany College of Pharmacy

Erica is all about small town life and neighbors helping neighbors, viewing her time behind the counter as a chance to make life a little easier for her community. Whether it’s on the sports fields with her kids or in the pharmacy, all Erica wants to know is how she can help.

What aspect of your organization’s culture do you promote most fiercely and how have you influenced it?

My focus is to promote and protect the professional practice of pharmacy. I am doing this by emphasizing a community-centric approach in which I prioritize developing relationships with my patients. I also encourage my staff to come to work with a similar attitude. I find it extremely rewarding to leave work each day knowing I have made a positive impact on someone’s life and well-being.

Where are you making your greatest impact right now?

I believe my greatest impact currently is on our community. I prefer to call myself a community pharmacist, rather than a retail pharmacist. Community pharmacists are accessible to the public when their doctors’ offices are closed or they need advice on medications and health issues, to give vaccines to walk ins and help with chronic disease management. I thoroughly enjoy developing relationships with patients, helping them pick out over the counter medications as well as helping find cost saving alternatives.

Where do you invest your time outside of work, and what motivates your commitment to those efforts?

I am currently investing my time outside of work on raising my family. I have also started giving back to our community by coaching youth sports. I find it truly rewarding watching my children as well as the players I coach, grow and flourish in their own endeavors.

The North Country’s “Gen IQ” reflects how well we lead across generations. Where are we getting it right—and where do we need to evolve?

I would like to see more career days in schools and local colleges. The North Country has unique employment opportunities that many students may not know about. I would also like to see more internship opportunities.

What change do you hope to see shape the future of leadership in our region?

In a time of great division nationally, I’d like to see local leaders step forward and seek to compromise and collaborate with one another for the common good of our community.