LAKEPORT, Calif. – Registered pharmacist Bill Kearney, owner of North Lake Medical Pharmacy, will be the featured speaker at the Lake County Republican Women, Federated’s Aug. 8 meeting.

The appetizer and salad buffet luncheon meeting will start at 11:30 at TNT On The Lake Mexican restaurant, 2599 Lakeshore Blvd., Lakeport.

Speaking on “How pharmacy has changed the last 20 years,” Kearney will cover such topics as cost of drugs, elimination of community pharmacies, the opioid crisis (pain medication) and lack of physicians in rural areas. There is much to be learned from Bill Kearney.

When Kearney graduated from Drake University in Des Moines in 1966, with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy, he began his career with Walgreen’s in Chicago, Illinois in June of 1966. At that time he became a registered pharmacist in Iowa and Illinois.

After a two-year commitment to the U.S. Army in the states and Korea he returned to the states and began a 15-year career with Walgreen’s, becoming a registered pharmacist in a total of seven states.

After 15 years with Walgreen’s and moving to California, Kearney left the Bay Area in April of 1980 to open the first North Lake Medical Pharmacy across from Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

In the next 15 years the pharmacy served all three nursing homes in the county and also provided medications to the Lake County Jail.

In 1995 Kearney and his wife Dana opened the second pharmacy in the Bruno’s grocery store in Lakeport.

Kearney has served Lake County on many boards over the years, from hospital board to being president of the Chamber of Commerce and during the last four years served on the National Board of Directors of Compliant Pharmacy Alliance.

Lake County Republican Women, Federated is a local chapter of California Republican Women Federated, established in 1925, and also retains membership in National Federation of Republican Women with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

There are more than 1,600 local clubs in the 50 states and in the U.S. Territories. Many men are associate members. All members and associate members are working to keep America a safe and great nation.

Leona M. Butts is vice president and publicity chair for the Lake County Republican Women, Federated.