LANGFORD ALUM YOUNG PHARMACIST OF THE YEAR

    A local woman with deep ties to northeast South Dakota has been recognized among the best in her profession. Pharmacist Emily (Swanson) Kappes, a 2010 graduate of Langford High School, was recently honored as the South Dakota Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year at the 139th Annual Convention of the South Dakota Pharmacists Association.
    The award recognizes exceptional leadership, service, and promise in the pharmacy field, and Kappes said she was humbled to join the ranks of past recipients.
    “I was very surprised about winning the award,” she said. “So many amazing pharmacists have won it before me. I felt really proud to be honored, because I am so proud of my store and our staff. We all work so hard and so many extra hours to make sure our patients are taken care of. It’s wonderful that small-town pharmacy is getting recognition.”
    Kappes wasn’t the only member of her workplace to be recognized that day. Her boss, Lori Giedt, owner of Lori’s Pharmacy in Groton, received the Bowl of Hygeia Award, one of the profession’s most prestigious honors.
    For Kappes, the path to pharmacy started close to home. Raised a couple miles outside of Langford, she excelled in school but wasn’t sure where she fit in the medical field. The push came from her mother.
    “One day my mom said, ‘I think you should go to pharmacy school,’ and so I did,” Kappes recalled. “I didn’t really fall in love with it until the last few years of school when we started learning the medications and how they work in the body—and then I was hooked.”
    After high school, Kappes attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, graduating in 2016 with her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. During her school years, she interned at Avera St. Luke’s Pharmacy in Aberdeen before stepping into her career full time. Aside from a few fill-in jobs right out of college, her career has centered on Lori’s Pharmacy in Groton, where she has now worked for nine years.
    What keeps her passionate about the work, she said, are the relationships.
    “The most rewarding part of the job is helping our patients,” Kappes said. “I’ve become so close with pretty much all of them, and I love being able to give advice or get them the medications and vaccines they need. Most of my patients have become like family to me. They ask about my kids and life, and I do the same with them.”
    She also acknowledged the challenges of rural pharmacy like insurance barriers, medication shortages, and the demands of being a small team. Still, she sees the value in the personal touch.
“I once traveled across town in a snowstorm to give a child a shot because his home health nurse couldn’t make it,” she said. “We didn’t have to do that, but we did because we truly care. Our patients are like family, and we’ll do whatever we can to help.”
    Kappes is also active outside of the pharmacy. She has served as a Groton city council member, and today she is the superintendent and teacher for St. John’s Lutheran Sunday School, the church’s Bible school director, and a T-ball coach. She is a member of the South Dakota Pharmacists Association, which she credits for helping her stay connected to colleagues across the state.
At home, Kappes’ biggest supporters are her family: husband Andrew, daughters Sawyer (6) and Sage (2), and their 11-year-old lab, Piper.
    Looking ahead, she hopes her recognition encourages people to view pharmacists as an important first stop for healthcare questions.
    “Don’t be afraid to contact your local pharmacy about any questions you have,” she said. “We’re the most accessible members of the healthcare team, and we love to hear from you.”