Profiles
PHARMASAVE
prescriptions and can give injections for vaccines, B12 shots, hormone shots and some birth control. They also offer health related travel advice, and information about diseases such as diabetes, showing people how to manage sugars, insulin and offering nutritional advice. “Especially with the current health-care professional shortage, doctors and nurse practitioners, we are getting more and more people all the time asking for advice,” he said. “We spend a lot of time guiding people into the right choices or at least pointing them in the right direction where they can get the help that they need.” And that help is close at hand with no appointment needed. Penner and his staff are available by text, phone or simply coming in. People are also coming in with more knowledge than ever before, often dropping by to ask questions about something they learned online. “The hardest part for us though, is to assess the credibility of the information that they’re bringing to us,” Penner said, adding often the goal of those websites is to sell something. “Especially with the current health-care crunch people are having to be their own advocates a little bit more and again that’s where we come into play, where we can help with that.” Currently Pharmasave employs four full-time and three part-time employees, and Penner said he wants to ensure that customers can be served in a timely manner. “I’d rather be slightly over-staffed to allow us to handle the growth a bit better than playing catch-up.” In fact, the time it takes to fill a prescription at many corporate stores is one reason people have flocked to Pharmasave. Too often he hears stories from people who needed immediate pain control, or lived out of town and wanted to head home being told it was a six-hour wait or being asked to come back the next day for their medication.
“How is that acceptable?” he asked. “This is the level of service that has somehow become acceptable, and I don’t get it.” “Here most prescriptions are filled in 10 minutes and you’re on your way.” Learning is constant for pharmacists who must continue their education, something that Penner said makes his job exciting and fulfilling. “We’re always up to date as much as we can be, with continuing education plus our own learning above and beyond that,” he said. Satisfaction also comes at the end of the day when Penner says he knows he’s helping and making a difference. He also makes attempts to give back to the community, in one example, hosting Steinbach Community Outreach’s Soap for Hope event in April. “I tell people this goes both ways,” he said. “You’re supporting me in the business, and I will support you in your health, in your family’s health but also give back to the community. That’s also a philosophy of Pharmasave.” Pharmasave is located in Victoria Plaza Mall next to Dollarama. They carry M&M Meats products, all the health and beauty aids, cough, cold and pain medication, first aid supplies and more. They also offer free delivery, an E-Care app, and blister packing. Their landline is text enabled to offer customers convenience. Switching pharmacies for prescriptions is also very simple. Customers simply need to contact Pharmasave, and they will do the rest. They are available in store from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. They can be reached by phone or text at 204-326-2334.
Come experience the difference Pharmasave brings at 20 Brandt St Unit 10C in the Victoria Plaza Mall
Profiles 13
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