Local pharmacy owners featured in national trade magazine

The co-owners of a Bright's Grove pharmacy–situated within steps from a major drug store chain–are featured in a national trade magazine that recognizes their ability to carve out an important niche in the market.

Kelly and Paul Haggerty, both pharmacists who once worked the Shopper's Drug Mart in the same area, opened Bright's Grove Remedy's Rx Pharmacy in 2009.

Drugstore Canada, in a July/August 2012 cover story by Anne Bokma, featured the couple and their recipe for success—largely based on customer service and a focus on pharmacy services, not the cosmetics, grocery and electronics that's become common at other chains.

In fact, the Haggertys business is not so much a chain as a buying group and Kelly told the magazine that their desire was to be more than a dispensary. "We wanted to run a clinical pharmacy," she told the magazine. "A lot of people were skeptical about us doing this—they wondered what it would take todraw the support we'd need to be successful, especially with our competition next door. To us the answer was simple: be different."

Providing a combination of clinical services—including warfarin management (one of Kelly's specialities) and now immunization (Paul is one of a handful in the area who is ready to provide that service)—the Remedy'x Rx buying group appears to bring the strength and identity while allowing the Haggertys to effectively stand out from their competition.

The couple also provides women's health counseling and even medication flavouring for children.

The business community has also recognized the Haggertys' effort—with an Outstanding Business Achievement award in the Innovation category earlier this year.

Counselling that's done privately—not over the counter where others could overhear sensitive conversations—is another feature of the store.

"A doctor wouldn't treat a sore toe in front of other patients, and our patients deserve the same kind of privacy," said Kelly.

The Haggertys are also learning to better manage their team as pharmacists by effectively using technicians to handle work that's within their scope of practice.

Being successful in a more focused operation like Remedy's Rx means working harder, Kelly and Paul told Drug Store Canada. "I think we are managing to do that and our greatest success has been in identifying things that no one else was doing," said Kelly. "We've looked for the gaps and then put our energies into implementing our services, marketing them and collaborating with physicians.

Tags: Bright's Grove, bright's grove remedy's rx, kelly haggerty, paul haggerty, pharmacy, sarnia news