Most of us know our neighborhood pharmacist by first name. In Baton Rouge, one of them just got recognized across the country.

T.J. Woodard, owner of Prescriptions to Geaux, has been named the 2026 National Community Pharmacists Association Willard B. Simmons Independent Pharmacist of the Year. The Louisiana Department of Health announced the honor on Oct. 6. Woodard accepted the award at NCPA's annual convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to the announcement, the award goes each year to a pharmacist who shows exemplary professional leadership, service to the community, and commitment to independent pharmacy. That last part means something in an era when many neighborhoods lose their local drugstores to chains.

A Baton Rouge story

Woodard is a Louisiana product. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2007 and an MBA from LSU in 2011. In 2013, he and his wife, Aimee, who is also a pharmacist, opened the first Prescriptions to Geaux in downtown Baton Rouge.

The business now has two Baton Rouge locations. For a lot of customers, that means a pharmacy where the staff knows their names and their history and will pick up the phone.

Why it matters here

Independent pharmacies fill a real need in a city like ours. They serve people downtown, in older neighborhoods and anywhere else that values a familiar face behind the counter. A national award for a local owner is a reminder that some of the most important small businesses in Baton Rouge don't have a menu or a patio.

Next time you're picking up a prescription, consider where you're getting it filled. And if you see T.J. Woodard, congratulations are in order.