Thrive Pharmacy

Staff and Steven Mogeot, Owner Thrive Pharmacy

Thrive Pharmacy opened in Jacksonville, Florida, on September 11, 2018, to address the opiate crisis with a novel and compassionate approach. The opening day represented a day that someone experiencing SUD could now fight for themselves with the medical community’s support.

The owner/operator who chose this venture is Steven Mougeot, PharmD, a graduate of the University of Florida, class of 2008. Steven started his pharmacy journey in 1994 as a Navy Pharmacy Technician for eight years. With a degree in psychology already, he completed additional or pre-requisites and was admitted to Pharmacy School at UF Jacksonville.

Fresh out of school, he became the PDM at a CVS that was the worst-performing store in the district, as measured by corporate metrics. Within two years he turned that store around, making it the top performer and within budget. More success at corporate retail locations for various companies followed.

An opportunity opened up to be a pharmacist at his former Navy duty station, and he chose that for a few years. A gig as a contractlimited prior authorization pharmacist showed the underbelly of the insurance industry. Frustrated, Steven reached out to a friend who owned a pharmacy south of Jacksonville, requiring weekly commutes for five days living out of town, and returning on the weekends. But the opportunity presented the ability to work in both the sterile and non-sterile sides of compounding.

So it was here that Steven learned the art of making troches, something pharmacy school never offered but talked about. After almost one year of long-distance commuting (with a wife and two teenagers at home), Steven decided to open a pharmacy. Having seen the uglier side of compounding and the brighter side of compounding, he chose to specialize and fill a void he saw in the community.

Mouget’s experience in psychology, Pharmacy, faith, and sobriety (for 30 years!) has helped him create a pharmacy specializing in patients with substance use disorder.

Covid and a shifting world like any pharmacy. Overdoses hit an all-time high nationwide. And with fentanyl-animal tranquilizer (xylazine) laced products everywhere, the need has never been so great to help a struggling population. Thrive lost more than a handful of patients during and after this time to overdose/ poisonings. Poisoning here refers to when pills are “misbranded” as another product, and death occurs.

in all whole-numbered strengths from 1-12 and lower strengths in troche form. This form precludes diversion and inappropriate use (snorting or injecting) or selling on the street. Clinically, it is proven that traditional strips and tablets cannot be split for effective dosing. And with 1mg buprenorphine equal to 15-20mg morphine equivalents for effect, it should be readily apparent why macro dose changes (ex. 8 mg to 4mg) are not easily tolerated.

Too often at Thrive, Steven shares they see patients who felt maligned and ridiculed by their former pharmacy staff.

“Whereas we all should be celebrating therapeutic lifestyle changes, as we do with weight loss and dietary management with diabetics and cardiac patients, more often than not, when it comes to addiction, these patients are relegated to the bottom. How many diabetics did you discharge from your practice over the holidays when they overconsumed carbs? Or did you sneer at cardiac patients over Super Bowl weekend with the salty snack items they consumed? So why are there endless stories of patients who want to get off of opiates with buprenorphine-containing products having such a miserable time finding their medications? And yes, they, too, have their relapses. Misuse and diversion are always possible, but this is true for multiple pharmacy items, and Thrive Pharmacy is here for them in many ways.”

Furthermore, Big Pharma does not provide any actual taper or off-ramp when someone is ready to move off of buprenorphine, So Thrive provides a smooth off-ramp to minimize life disruption as individuals work their recovery programs and are prepared to move on. Yes, it is okay to lose patients as they get better. But too often, we all lose patients to overdoses, especially since 2020.

At Thrive, they encourage their customers to be their best selves. There are two comfortable couches to wait on in a warm, inviting environment. Pictures of sunrises cover the walls with steampunk lighting throughout, so the experience transforms and provides the community with care to help them thrive.

Almost five years in, Thrive Pharmacy endured

Thrive is an FDA-compliant compound pharmacy. The bulk majority of compounds provided are unlike any the DEA has seen in practice, as per a 2019 visit. Thrive provides buprenorphine with and without naloxone