At Work - Workers Around The Region

Dixie Leikach

Pharmacist and pharmacy owner; Finksburg Pharmacy, Finksburg

Age: 35

Years in business: 12, the past year and a half as a pharmacy owner.

Salary: $100,000 before taxes. The median salary is $94,434 for a pharmacist in Baltimore, according to Salary.com.

How she started: Her mother first suggested pharmacy as a career. She researched the field to earn a Girl Scout badge and realized that she liked it. She completed two years of pre-pharmacy studies at Salisbury University and worked at a pharmacy part time. She graduated from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 1992 and worked for retail chain pharmacies for several years.

Runs in the family: Leikach met her husband, Neil Leikach, during their first year of pharmacy school. He owns and operates Catonsville Pharmacy. Her father-in-law is a pharmacist.

Typical day: Starts at 9 a.m. by checking messages for orders and calling patients to remind them about refills. Helps walk-in customers until 6:30 p.m. Typically works 35 to 40 hours, four to five days a week.

The good: Interacting with customers. "We have fun," she said. "I want to do for somebody as much as I can do for their situation."

The bad: Dealing with insurance companies.

Extracurriculars: Leikach is a member of several regional and national pharmacy organizations and is grand president of Lambda Kappa Sigma, an international pharmacy fraternity. .

Side business: Leikach is also a Mary Kay beauty consultant.

Her philosophy on the job: Running her own shop allows her to give clients personal attention, including free delivery. She makes judgment calls about billing or recommendations for alternative medications when needed. "I like being a decision-maker," she said. "I like being able to practice pharmacy the way I want to."