Ralph and Rebecca Sorrell at Ritch’s Pharmacy are helping ‘kick COVID to the curb’ with Moderna vaccine
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Jacob Williams, Pam Reeve, Laura Leigh Scoggins, Rebecca Sorrell, Ralph Sorrell and Josh Register make up the staff at Ritch’s Pharmacy in Mountain Brook Village. Ritch’s Pharmacy was one of three pharmacies in the state — the first in the Birmingham area — to be included in a pilot project in January to delivery vaccines to the public.
Ritch’s Pharmacy
► 2714 Cahaba Road
► 205-871-1141
Ritch’s Pharmacy in Mountain Brook Village, in existence for more than 75 years, long ago earned a cherished place in the city’s history.
But the business — co-owned by husband and wife pharmacists Ralph and Rebecca Sorrell since 1997 — recently earned another distinction that will likely be remembered for generations.
Beginning in December, Ritch’s Pharmacy became one of only three independent pharmacies in Alabama chosen to distribute the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Ritch’s was picked, at least in part, because it’s one of the largest immunizing pharmacies in Alabama, dispensing 1,400 immunizations of various types annually.
The Sorrells and their 10 full-time employees, including four other pharmacists, have been extremely busy dispensing the vaccine.
However, it’s been worth it.
“It’s been frustrating at times, but the greatest thing is ... that we’re part of the solution, and we’re part of the effort to kick COVID to the curb,” Rebecca said.
“We knew from the very beginning that by doing this we’re helping us all get back to normal lives, to be able to go to football games in the fall and back to church and movies and all the things we like to do, and to do those things...we’ve got to be vaccinated,” Ralph said.
“To be a small part of a big, noble cause has been an extremely rewarding experience,” he said.
In addition to distributing the vaccine, Ritch’s Pharmacy marked some other milestones in 2020.
Ralph, who graduated from Auburn University in 1980, celebrated his 40th anniversary as a licensed pharmacist.
He completed a five-year term on the Alabama Board of Pharmacy, making him one of only three pharmacists with a Mountain Brook practice who has served on the board.
In August, he was named to the Alabama Pharmacy Hall of Fame, an honor he calls a “milestone” in his career.
In 2021, he also marks 35 years since he began working at Ritch’s.
Jacob Williams, a student pharmacist at Samford University, administers the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the arm of Greg Brockwell, a Homewood resident.
He and his wife still enjoy the practice and enjoy running a business in Mountain Brook.
Ritch’s Pharmacy received its the first shipment of vaccine just before Christmas and allocated the first 1,200 doses for frontline healthcare workers, such as first responders, doctors, dentists, office staff and workers at hospitals and clinics, including physical therapists and anesthesiologists, who had not already been vaccinated.
In the beginning, Ritch’s staff “didn’t have a clue what the public response would be,” Rebecca said.
However, the store was soon fielding 400 to 500 calls a day using its simple telephone system.
More recently, the Bruno Event Team donated the use of its Timetap software to Ritch’s and other Jefferson County immunizers, Rebecca said. This allows patients to book appointments on the pharmacy website.
By the end of March, Rebecca said the pharmacy had administered more than 6,000 doses to over 4,000 people.
In December and January, they administered about 60 doses per day on weekdays and about 100 on weekends.
By the end of March, they were doing 100 to 120 doses per day on busier weekdays and on weekends.
It’s been “very rewarding” to dispense the potentially life-saving vaccine, Rebecca said.
“We’ve seen the highs and the lows,” she said. “We see people who come in and shed tears of joy that they are finally going to hug their grandchild 12 months after COVID started.”
They meet 90-year-olds who think they may finally be able to go to the grocery store after staying inside for a year.
“We see hope,” she said. “We see great relief and celebration.”
There is also sadness, though.
“We have people come in whose family member is dying in the hospital of COVID,” she said. “They will say, ‘The least I can do is get the vaccine so other people are protected.’ It’s usually more joy, but we do shed a few tears. And we celebrate every day as much as possible.”
“Everybody has been extremely excited and extremely glad to get the vaccine,” Ralph said.
Some people with serious health conditions come in “who realize this vaccine is helping to save their lives,” he said.
Even in normal times, it is this “interaction with the patients” that Ralph Sorrell said he enjoys the most about being a pharmacist.
“We run at an easy pace here,” he said. “We are not a high-volume pharmacy. We are able to stop and talk to patients.”
Ralph joined Ritch’s in Mountain Brook Village as a pharmacist in 1986 and bought the store in 1997.
He and Rebecca live in Pelham. They’ve been married since 1987 and have two children.
They love operating their business in Mountain Brook, he said.
"It’s been a great relationship with the community. We have an extremely loyal patient base. We love [them]."
Ralph sorrell
It’s been a great relationship with the community,” Ralph said. “We have an extremely loyal patient base.”
“We love the community,” Rebecca said.
“We also have a very professional team of pharmacists and a great support staff, and that is what makes this practice setting work so well,” Ralph said.
Ralph said he felt “extremely honored” to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
He was chosen, in part, due to his involvement in statewide pharmacy organizations and the passion he’s shown throughout his career to create opportunities for young pharmacists.
“The sheer number of pharmacists who have been positively impacted by Ralph Sorrell’s mentorship is tremendous,” said Louise Jones, APA chief executive officer.
Those efforts continue at Ritch’s, where he and Rebecca work with Samford University pharmacy students.
“We learn from them, and they learn from us,” he said. “We mentor down, and they mentor up. It keeps us young and current.”
After 40 years, Ralph would like to “cut back a little bit” at work but said he has no plans to retire.
“I enjoy what I do,” he said.
In the meantime, Ritch’s continues to dispense the vaccine to a diverse group of patients.
About 95% of the people the pharmacy has vaccinated don’t live in Mountain Brook and have come from 21 different zip codes, Rebecca said.
“No one is turned away,” she said. “There’s no charge for this vaccine. The only requirement is you have an appointment.”
The Ritch’s staff has received a lot of gratitude for their efforts from Mountain Brook residents.
“We’ve been showered with generous love and support, meals and gifts,” Rebecca said. “Someone will bring us a soft drink or a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Everyday, someone gives back to us in some way, or someone will say, ‘I prayed for you today,’ or ‘Our circle prayed for you.’ That has been so moving. You just can’t believe the outpouring of support that people give you. We hear the negative stories about ‘I can’t get an appointment’ or ‘My arm hurt,’ but the happiness and graciousness we see is far more abundant.”
