From an early age, Dunmore native Tom DePietro was instilled with an unwavering pride for his hometown and a deep-rooted commitment to helping others.

All these years later, he's living up to both of those virtues as the owner-pharmacist of DePietro's Pharmacy in Dunmore.

DePietro founded the pharmacy in March 2012 with the goal of melding cutting-edge pharmaceutical care with the quaint friendliness of a classic mom and pop business. For him and his employees, that means providing patients with exceptional customer service, offering services that other pharmacies don't, working closely with other health care providers during these ever-changing times, and staying firmly connected to the community at large.

That philosophy is working just fine. In recent years, DePietro's has been recognized by the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce with its "Business of the Year," "Best Practices in Customer Service" and "Best Practices in Community Involvement" awards. Meanwhile, the pharmacy was voted "Best Local Pharmacy" for the past five years by the readers of The Times-Tribune.

"Unfortunately, health care can be so complicated for people to navigate. So, it's inspiring to manage a pharmacy team that goes above and beyond for our customers," DePietro said. "Not only do we make sure they understand their conditions and medications, but we also provide many other invaluable resources."

Both of DePietro's parents worked in health care-his father as a pharmacist, his mother as a nurse-and the dedication and empathy they showed to their patients left an indelible impression on him.

"What really resonated with me was their passion for helping people and being able to make an impact on their patients," he said. "Their hours were long and their days were stressful, but what they focused on was how they were able to help someone. That always stuck with me."

After graduating from Dunmore High School, DePietro earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Temple University School of Pharmacy. From there, he went to work for a large chain pharmacy.

Quickly, he fell in love with the world of retail pharmacy, and over time developed the ability to build close relationships with his customers and peers. He also found he had the capacity to motivate his team to exceed customer expectations.

"However, while I was extremely grateful for the opportunity, I felt like corporate policies and goals didn't quite align with the best interests of the patients," DePietro said. "After sharing my vision of opening my own pharmacy with my wife and family, they gave me the courage and support to pursue my dream."

Outside of the pharmacy, DePietro has made community service a priority via a number of volunteer ventures near and dear to him, including the Parish Finance Council at Immaculate Conception Church, the Jude Zayac Foundation and the Lackawanna County Heritage Valley Authority.

And, of course, he's a dedicated husband and father to his wife, Eugenia, and their daughters, Dominica and Adriana.