John P. Navarra, R.Ph. (’67)
President, Town Total Health
For John Navarra, pharmacist and business executive, today’s
pharmacy students face an envious array of career options. “There
is so much variety in the field now,” he says. “There are so many
more opportunities. The clinical aspects are phenomenal. I almost
wish I were graduating now,” he says jovially.
Through a series of partnerships and alliances, Navarra created
Town Total Health, a comprehensive pharmaceutical services company
that through corporate-owned and allied drug stores in New York
City, Albany and throughout the state of New Jersey provides an
array of services to patients of health care facilities and private
physicians. Many of these drug stores are located in low-income
neighborhoods.
The moral values instilled at St. John’s have contributed to
Narvarra’s success and led him to establish the Town Total Health
Urban Pharmaceutical Care postgraduate residency through which a
St. John’s graduate gains firsthand experience in serving urban
populations.
“To be successful in any business, you need to be able to
command the respect of people who work with you and for you,” he
explains. “People want a leader they can respect and trust, someone
they feel makes decisions for the greater good. The atmosphere at
St. John’s encourages exactly that type of behavior.”