Profiles
PHARMASAVE
Pharmasave strives for good old-fashioned pharmacy feel
I f you had to condense Scott Penner’s mission for Pharmasave in Steinbach, it would be to provide a “good, old-fashioned pharmacy.” That’s not to say it isn’t as modern as any other pharmacy of course, but Penner said it starts the moment a customer walks into the store. “It doesn’t have this cold corporate feel where everything is white and glaring,” he said. “It’s a warm inviting store.” And the service he offers at his location in the Victoria Plaza Mall located near the corner of Brandt Avenue and Highway 52, demonstrates that commitment. “Good old-fashioned service means to me it’s relational, not transactional,” he said. “It’s ongoing continual care, not only for them but for their whole family. We do that day in and day out here.” After spending many years working what he calls a corporate pharmacy environment, Penner saw an opportunity to introduce this type of store to Steinbach. “I saw that there was a need especially for an independent pharmacy to really shine,” he said. Working in a corporate environment was tough. “I just couldn’t be the pharmacist that I wanted to be, nor could I help people as effectively as I thought they could be helped,” he said. He opened his first pharmacy in Niagara in 1999 and lived there for 25 years. But the organic growth of Steinbach and surrounding areas convinced him it was time to come home, to the community where he grew up. Pharmasave opened in Steinbach on Sept. 1, 2022, and roughly 18 months later Penner said it’s gone extremely well. “We are as busy in this store as I was after five years in my first pharmacy,” he said. “The people have responded. Me being from the area originally, I still have a lot of connections and Steinbach, despite its growth is still a very tight-knit community. After starting out in Steinbach in 1992, Penner moved to Ontario hoping that the band in which he played bass would make it big.
That never happened, but life has led him back to Steinbach where he said the great location with ample parking presented itself. And he’s never looked back, providing that “good old-fashioned pharmacy” feel since the beginning. It’s a commitment that has been eagerly embraced by his staff as well, many who come from the same corporate environment that he experienced. “They feel like when they come to work, they’re not even at work, they’re having a good time,” he said. “They’re helping people at the same time. They’re not stressed out. They’re not overworked, and they’re appreciated.” While Pharmasave is a well-known brand with more than 900 locations across Canada, it’s not structured like a corporation. Starting off as a buying group it is now a cooperative which is member owned by the independent pharmacy owners. A bottom-up organization, the CEO and board of directors are selected by the store owners, and are there to support the stores, not tell them what to do. “We don’t work for them, they work for us,” Penner said. That allows them to benefit from buying power of a larger entity while maintaining local control. That means Penner controls his pricing, hiring, salaries and store hours. Much has changed in the industry since Penner graduated in 1992. Pharmacists these days are able to do injections, extend prescriptions and work collaboratively with doctors and nurse practitioners. Change has come more slowly to Manitoba than many other provinces such as Alberta and B.C. where pharmacists can also initiate anti- hypertension therapy, addressing blood pressure issues. “We could do more,” Penner said. “We probably should be doing more, but the legislation isn’t in place yet for us to be able to do those things.” Pharmasave still manages to offer a wide variety of services. They fill
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