Boswell finds home as Collinsville pharmacist
He is more than a pharmacist.
Brandon Boswell arrives every morning at Collinsville Drugs to open the doors at 9 a.m. to proudly serve the community.
Boswell, originally from Bowden, Georgia, grew up in Heflin, Georgia. Despite growing up with “not that much money,” Boswell knew from an early age that he wanted to help others.
As a child with a father for a preacher, Boswell was raised to know that helping others was the right thing to do. He recalls a pivot point in his life came when he interviewed a pharmacist in the ninth grade.
His assignment was to interview a person in a career that he might be interested in. He was able to interview a family friend’s dad who was also a “pillar in the community.”
Seeing leadership qualities in this man only reassured Boswell that being a pharmacist was the career for him. After Boswell continued with schooling in Georgia, it was soon time to select what college to attend. Boswell then attended Auburn University to earn his Pharm D degree.
It was in his last year of pharmacy school that Boswell actually met his wife. He even credits his wife as the reason why he settled in Alabama. Boswell said she was a “daddy’s girl” and so they made the joint decision to move back her hometown of Rainsville, Alabama.
Today, Boswell is happy to be working at his Collinsville pharmacy. “It’s exciting to be a part of a small community.”
Boswell said he has been able to impact Collinsville because he “wants people to come to him in times of need to answer questions and to be a friend.”
Mark Shatzel, a member of the Collinsville Public Library Board and volunteer Rescue Squad member, said, “He is very intelligent, gives good advice, and he’s an asset to the community as a person and as a drug store owner."
Boswell said he considers himself a devout Christian. He recalled how he has prayed that “God would make this [pharmacy] his platform” to reach out to people in the community to help them.
Boswell said he wants to emphasize that he is not “just a pharmacist filling people’s prescriptions.” He sees his store as a place where people can come when they have other needs besides just medical ones.
Boswell said, “I want to be here for people, not only for physical needs.” Boswell even joked about how he probably needs a degree in psychology.
Teresa McClain, member of the Collinsville Public Library Board, said, “We love him! He is an excellent pharmacist, and he will help you in any way he can. You can call him anytime, and he will offer you support and help you find the answers to questions you may have.”
Local soccer coach Barry Anderson agreed. “He is very efficient, helpful, delightful with his demeanor, and a pleasure to work with.”
When asked what would he be doing if he was not a town pharmacist, Boswell stated how he loves spending time outdoors, and that he most likely would have gone into “landscape management.”
Boswell has two children, ages 11 and 7. His family spends a great deal of time between his son’s baseball games and his daughter’s softball games.
Overall, Boswell said tries to do anything that he can in order to support “any and all activities in Collinsville and for the community.” He added, “Collinsville is an amazing community because everyone comes together to help each other.”
Tags: Collinsville
