By Martine St. Hilaire + Photos by Stanley Alexandre @stanvisual_official
When Dr. Melissa Jules walks through the glass doors of PharmaMélia in Pétion-Ville, she isn’t just entering her business—she’s stepping into the dream she fought for years to bring to life.
Born and raised in Pétion-Ville, Haiti, Melissa was the youngest of four siblings and the only one drawn to the medical field. At 19, she left her hometown for the United States to pursue higher education, eventually earning her doctorate in pharmacy from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
She found work at major retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, but something didn’t feel right. “I wasn’t living up to my full potential,” she recalls. “I had a strong desire to share my skills within my community back home.”
So, she worked overtime—not just to pay off student loans, but to save every dollar for the pharmacy she envisioned. In only four years, she returned to Haiti and opened PharmaMélia in the heart of Pétion-Ville, offering something rare in the country: a 24-hour pharmacy staffed by highly trained pharmacists, providing exceptional service, and going beyond prescriptions to truly care for patients.
“In Haiti, finding quality healthcare is very rare. It makes me happy PharmaMélia is able to help patients who aren’t having their needs met elsewhere,” says Dr. Melissa Jules.
From the start, challenges were inevitable. The most significant challenge was meeting the demands of a rapidly expanding and diverse clientele. If a patient can’t find what they need, they often don’t return—a reality Dr. Melissa Jules met with sharp listening skills and quick adaptation. “My tactic is always to pay close attention to the customer’s needs,” she says. That focus led to innovations like delivery services and curbside pickup, vital in a city where traffic and parking can be daily obstacles.
In 2024, PharmaMélia launched its curbside pickup option, allowing patients to order and pay ahead without leaving their car. Dr. Melissa Jules sees these services as more than conveniences—they are lifelines for busy families, the elderly, and those managing chronic conditions.
Her plans for 2025 reflect that same spirit of innovation: building a complete online database so customers can order medications with a few clicks. However, given Haiti’s often unpredictable environment, she has learned to anticipate the unexpected. “Adapting and pivoting is the key to making issues work out,” she says, reflecting on the political instability that forced her to manage operations remotely at times.
“Always find a way to adjust to any situation—flexibility is survival.”
PharmaMélia stands out not just for its services—free blood pressure and blood sugar checks, free injections, and special orders for rare medicines—but for its commitment to accessibility. Customers can pay for loved ones from abroad, join a loyalty program, and always expect compassionate care. Her most loyal customers come from all walks of life, drawn to a place where affordability meets quality.
It’s no wonder that her best-selling product, Antiflu-Des, flies off the shelves. Haitians, she notes, often practice self-medication for colds and flu and trust her pharmacy to carry brands they know and love.
Dr. Melissa Jules’ commitment to service extends beyond her storefront. She’s organized mobile clinics in underserved neighborhoods like Jalousie, provided free consultations through medical missions, and led holiday fundraisers for orphanages for over a decade.
“The impact I would like to make,” Dr. Melissa Jules says, “is to encourage Haitian professionals from abroad to invest in their home country.”
When asked what drives her, her answer is simple yet profound: “Customer satisfaction.” But underneath that is a deeper mission—to bridge the gap between the quality healthcare she saw abroad and the urgent needs of her fellow Haitians.
Balancing work and life is a non-negotiable for her. She never works weekends and takes time to recharge through photography, capturing Haiti’s landscapes on her Instagram page, @life_thru_my_lenses. Her photos are a visual reminder of what she’s working for: a Haiti that thrives.
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? Patience, resilience, and ambition. Perhaps most importantly, she stresses the importance of having the courage to start. “Haitians deserve access to the same level of care found anywhere else,” she says. “Why not be the one to provide it?”
As she looks to the future, Melissa dreams of expanding PharmaMélia across the country, especially in rural areas where quality pharmaceutical care is scarce.
Her story is a testament to what happens when skill meets purpose and when one woman dares to bring her vision home.
Follow PharmaMélia on Instagram @PharmaMélia to support Dr. Melissa Jules’ mission and stay updated on new services. To see Haiti through her eyes, follow her photography at @life_thru_my_lenses.
