Occupation: I am a licensed pharmacist and have been working at the Drug Center Pharmacy at 61 Church Hill Road since June 2003. Before that, I worked at Waterbury Hospital for 30 years and was director of pharmacy there for the last seven years of t
Occupation: I am a licensed pharmacist and have been working at the Drug Center Pharmacy at 61 Church Hill Road since June 2003. Before that, I worked at Waterbury Hospital for 30 years and was director of pharmacy there for the last seven years of that period. As an undergraduate, I attended the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, which was then a five-year program â it is now six years â including an internship. Then I received a masterâs degree in health care management from Rennselaer at Hartford.
Thoughts About The Current Health Care Situation: We all need health care and someone has to pay for it, but the question is where to draw the line. As long as there is enough money, technology will continue to develop more sophisticated and effective ways to treat disease, but at the same time there may be a limited ability to pay for increasingly expensive options. I believe that if the money isnât there, the technology will slow down.
Residence: I live in Watertown where we donât even have a budget yet. I grew up in Waterbury.
Change: Growth is happening everywhere, even in Watertown where we still have more farmland. Itâs not as wooded there as it is here in Newtown. Change presents a dilemma because you want the growth and a healthy local economy, but itâs sad to see the open spaces disappearing.
Family: My wife Cynthia is a teacher in Watertown. We have two children, Jeffrey and Jenny. Jeffrey is an ordained priest in the archdiocese of Hartford and he has been assigned to a large church in Wallingford. Jenny is a physical therapist and is getting married in October in Harwinton. We are very excited about that.
Hobbies: I like working on the computer, but I also like yard work and landscaping ââ anything that gets me outside. Iâm trying to walk more. It takes more energy these days to get out there and do it.
Favorite Books, Music: I like light reading, and I enjoy John Grishamâs books.
Iâm a country music fan. Weâre thinking about going down to Nashville, Tenn., and to Alabama for a country music fest some August.
Organizations: I support our local service clubs like UNICO, the Waterbury Italian-American Club, and when the kids were growing up, I was a coach for soccer and baseball.
Most Vivid Memory About Newtown: I have a lot of happy memories from attending movies at Edmond Town Hall, and I continue to appreciate the beautiful area around the flagpole that is really the historic center of this town.
Favorite Vacation Spot: We like to go to the Jersey Shore, to Cape May.
Personal Philosophy: People must be ready to adopt lifestyle changes, and to realize there is not going to be a pill for every possible ailment. As far as basic health care is concerned, there needs to be more attention paid to preventative care. Also, doctors donât often take the time to explain to patients the reasons why they are taking certain drugs. At the Drug Center, we try to be accessible and discuss with the clients what is going on. They deserve an explanation.
SNAPSHOT: Richard Gubbiotti