Local pharmacist appointed to state Board of Health

Recently, one local pharmacist was appointed to the Arkansas Board of Health for a three-year term by outgoing Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

“I am honored and humbled to be able to serve the state of

special to the saline Courier Blake Torres, co-owner of Westside Pharmacy has been appointed to the Arkansas Board of Health. He credits is family, wife Charlotte and sons Charles and Cooper, with getting him to where he is.

Arkansas in this capacity,” said Dr. Blake Torres.

Torres is the co-owner of Westside Pharmacy with Zack Haley and owns other pharmacies across Arkansas and Missouri.

He said the Board of Health oversees policies and rules regarding health. The board deals with issues related to medicine, pharmacy, waterways, and safety.

While the full board meets quarterly, subcommittees meet more often. Torres is waiting to find out what subcommittees he will be on.

He does not know how he came to Hutchinson’s attention. He said it may be because work he and his pharmacies did to help people during COVID-19. He was nominated for a role on the Board of Pharmacy. That spot went to someone else, but at that time Hutchinson said he’d consider Torres in the future for another role he was qualified for.

He believes he can impact the board. As a practicing pharmacist, he can see how his patients are affected by decisions being made and bring what he learns back to the board to make things better for patients across the state.

He thinks he will be able to give valuable insight.

Torres is has a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He did his undergraduate degree at Arkansas Tech University.

He has been with Westside for six years. He has also worked for Cornerstone Pharmacy and Kroger Pharmacy.

He said he could not get where he is without his family, He and his wife, Charlotte, have twin five-year-old boys, Charles and Cooper.

Currently, Torres is in a more managerial role at Westside. Maddison Schuller is the new pharmacist in charge.

He is grateful to his staff for allowing him the time to give to the Board of Health. He also gives credit to God because he said he would not have the blessings he has without God.

He plans to approach being on the board as non-biased as he can. He sees it as a role to help all of Arkansas.

“It is a board to serve the people,” Torres said.