Arkansas Business

Becca Mitchell

Becca Mitchell found her dream job in the pharmaceutical compounding industry.

After two years of undergraduate work at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Mitchell attended pharmacy school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, graduating in 2008.

While in school, Mitchell worked at Walgreens and Wal-Mart pharmacies. She didn't care for the work.

"So much of traditional retail pharmacy is, a lot of times, very automated," she said. "It's also heading in a direction I don't love, where the pharmacist is very overworked and underappreciated. I wanted somewhere that I could think outside the box and utilize critical thinking to really help patients."

Moreover, she had just had her first child, and retail pharmacy hours weren't compatible with family needs. The answer to her problem was with U.S. Compounding Services. Mitchell started there in 2008.

"We take the bulk ingredients, the chemicals, and make forms of medication customized for patient needs that aren't available by traditional manufacturers," she said. "We can make kid-friendly or pet-friendly flavors or doses." It's like following a recipe, she said, but much more technical.

Mitchell hopes her stay at U.S. Compounding helps the company grow. "My job at this point is more of an administrative role," she said. "I supervise and coordinate extremely talented and dedicated people. Compound sales have increased by 40 percent each year over the past five years. To continue that is really my dream."