Souris Family Pharmacy celebrates one year in business this month! Pharmacy Operator, Matthew Walliser says it’s been a great year, full of fantastic people supporting them from day one.
“It’s been a really positive experience,” Walliser shares. “People are genuinely interested in knowing how things are going, and wanting to support us.”
The goal at Souris Family Pharmacy is to provide individualized care.
“A lot of pharmacies are quick and convenient- we want to be those things, too, but what we really want to set us apart from everybody else is the service that we provide.”
When a new guest arrives, the Souris Family Pharmacy team will build a complete file, including relevant medical history and prescription coverage information. Whenever a client brings in a new prescription, staff will take the time to explain what each medication is, how it works, why it’s important, and how it’s compatible with the individual.
“We’re definitely looking at things from more of a customer care perspective,” Walliser states.
Walliser acknowledges the current lack of medical staff in the southeast, and the frustration it carries. He shares that Souris Family Pharmacy is doing their part to alleviate some of this pressure, reminding the community that pharmacists are generally more accessible healthcare providers than other types of healthcare providers like doctors.
“We can act as liaisons for patients who have questions or concerns, or even just have trouble navigating the healthcare system. It’s a much more complicated and challenging system than I think people realize. So having a pharmaceutical team that has experience in different facets of care can be really helpful.”
Services include medication reviews, consultations, basic compounding, and prescriptions for minor ailments. Walliser notes that, within Saskatchewan, there are a few dozen conditions that pharmacists can dispense medication for, including cold sores, hormonal contraception, and eczema care, to name a few. They also do flu shots and travel vaccinations.
As their community supports them, so does Souris Family Pharmacy want to support their community.
“Community is everything. Right when we kicked off last year, we ran a fundraiser for United Way, and we plan to do something similar this year. We were also involved in the parade in June,” Walliser recalls. “And we’ve done lots of different partnerships with community groups who’ve come in looking for things like donations. Primarily, we do things like raffle and silent auction baskets. We’ve worked with a lot of different community agencies and nonprofits to try to make this community a little bit better for everybody.”
Walliser emphasizes that, when patients who have been part of the Pharmacy since day one reach out and ask for support beyond medication, of course his team wants to lend a hand. After all, people need people.
“Coming into this, I had a pretty good understanding from working in other pharmacies in the past, how things worked,” Walliser shares. “The people coming in are often at a low point- they’re frustrated with the system, they’re sick, they’re looking for answers in a lot of cases. Sometimes… it’s not very glamorous. The thing that I’ve been so encouraged by is just how positive people are, how thankful and appreciative they are of the services we provide. We really enjoy the opportunity to get people on the right track.”
Souris Family Pharmacy is open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 106 Souris Avenue in Estevan. Give them a call anytime at (306)-637-7744, or find them online on their website and on social media.