MEET DR. EMLAH TUBUO

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Owner of Powell Pharmacy

Dr. Emlah Tubuo, the owner and pharmacist in charge at Powell Pharmacy, arrived in the United States in August 2003 with $300.00 to her name and nothing else to call her own. She worked diligently, overcoming daunting challenges in order to get the education she longed for, while treating all people with dignity, love and respect. Prior to earning her PharmD in 2010 from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, Emlah earned a BS in Microbiology from the University of Buea Cameroon, and an MS in Molecular Biology from Chicago State University. She has lived and studied in both a developed country and the developing African third world country of Cameroon. Her difficult early life experiences had an immense impact on her life perspective, heightening her desire to look deeply into the life of a career both for herself, her patients and her students.

Emlah served as an Ambulatory Care Pharmacist for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and previously, worked as a pharmacist with the Kroger Chain. Her quest for work-life balance and her strong desire to be an emotionally available parent to her three children and wife to her husband, gives her passion for fulfillment and giving to all people. While living and working in her birth country of Cameroon, Dr. Tubuo suffered from numerous preventable diseases such as Malaria, Typhoid Fever and Dysentery, which kept her out of school several times. This gives her an intense respect for disease prevention. She led her pharmacy team to immunize hundreds of patients in 2016 and earned national recognition from The Kroger Co. by ranking among the top 1 percent of immunization community pharmacies out of over 2,100 sites. Additionally, Emlah developed her pharmacy team to provide Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and led her pharmacy to rank in the top five pharmacies in Columbus Ohio for MTM claims billed for four consecutive years. A year later, her pharmacy team ranked in the 100th percentile in the National Outcomes MTM platform.

Emlah was featured in the October 2017 edition of the National Chain Drug Review in the “Excellence in Rx” feature. She has earned multiple awards including Leader in Patient Care in 2016 and Outstanding Mentor in 2017 from the Kroger Columbus Division. She is an active member of the Ohio Pharmacists Association and serves on the Practice Advancement and Innovation committee. She maintains membership in National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and American Pharmacist Association (APhA). She has earned multiple APhA certifications to augment her undying need for patient care development and advocacy for the profession of pharmacy. Dr. Tubuo serves as the district 9 Trustee for the Ohio Pharmacist Association.

Dr. Tubuo’s teaching philosophy is to enhance, teach and role model emotional intelligence as early as possible. She strives to motivate her clients to prepare their whole being towards a healthy, balanced life. She has directed a Humanistic Pharmacy course for The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. She has enjoyed speaking engagements on topics ranging from drug interactions at the community pharmacy, incorporating clinical services into daily workflow, and work-life balance. She has provided Keynote speeches for corporations such as McKesson, Women of Wendy’s, and the Powell Chamber of Commerce.

Emlah precepts Doctor of Pharmacy students from Colleges of Pharmacy. Providing optimal education, supporting and empowering patients in chronic disease management via MTM are the mainstays of the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiential Education she offers. In 2016 she received the Preceptor of the Year Award from the OSU College of Pharmacy. She also served as a resident preceptor for the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy PGY1 Community Care Residency program. Dr. Emlah Tubuo is the recipient of the 2018 Ohio Pharmacist Association Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award and the Ohio State University Josephine Sitterle Failer Alumni Award which recognizes an alumnus who has made outstanding contributions to the community or professional service. She serves on the Alumni Board of Governors of the OSU College of Pharmacy.

She is the founder and owner of Emlah Naturals, a supplement line with focus on educating consumers about supplementation and drug induced nutrient depletion. Her difficult early life as well as friends, peers, patients, and mentors through the years have given Emlah a kind heart and exceptional patient care skills. Her respect for diverse viewpoints, integrity and resilience makes her the passionate pharmacist behind the counter at Powell Pharmacy who will go above and beyond to ensure all clients experience pharmacy excellence and kindness.