PhippsCARE Celebrates Grand Opening

HUNTINGDON (August 19) — Pharmacist and business owner Jay Phipps celebrated the grand opening of PhippsCARE, “the cure for the common clinic,” on Tuesday, August 19, with the help of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and local legislatives.

The clinic, which operates separately from Phipps Pharmacy, is an innovative approach to healthcare. Located inside Huntingdon’s Phipps Pharmacy, it is the first clinic in the state in which pharmacists can test and treat patients for illnesses in the same building. PhippsCARE began treating patients for flu, strep and COVID in January 2025 and has expanded its services to include treatment of weight management, erectile dysfunction, toe fungus and UTIs since opening.

Phipps said the idea to open PhippsCARE arose in 2024 when state leaders — including Representative Brock Martin, Senator John Stevens and Representative Tandy Darby — passed legislation allowing pharmacists to expand their scope of practice, being able to both test patients and prescribe their medications.

“The State of Tennessee recognized pharmacists as providers, and we were the first ones to be signed up,” said Phipps. After legislation passed, Phipps and his team “immediately” began looking into how to get credentialed with insurance providers.

PhippsCARE became the first pharmacy in Tennessee to become credentialed as a prescriber with TennCare and WellPoint. At the time of the ribbon-cutting, the clinic could bill all commercial insurances and TennCares except for MediCare and BlueCare.

“You don’t think about Huntingdon, Tennessee, being the first one [to do something],” said Phipps. “I’m committed to making sure we’re practicing at the top of our license and taking care of patients at the highest level.”

Phipps said pharmacists first began administering shots when he was in pharmacy school. He believes that, in twenty years, people will be shocked that pharmacists didn’t always test and treat patients.

“I think the more opportunities that parents have to bring their children in to be tested for strep, to be tested for COVID, to be tested for flu — the better we are,” said Carroll County Chamber of Commerce President Brad Hurley. “I’m very excited for this kind of program and what it means for the citizens of Carroll County.”

PhippsCARE joins Phipps Pharmacy’s main pharmaceutical desk, Health Insurance Solutions and a gift shop in the building on 20190 Main Street East. The clinic has two patient rooms, separated by a curtain. Patients are treated by nurse Jill Mayo and pharmacists Drs. Jay Phipps, Todd Gottshall, Jennifer Spivey and resident Sankalp Vadlapudi.