“We are here to help people, and it sounds like a cliché… but we actually do.”
Pharmasave is open and ready to serve you! Scott Penner, owner and pharmacist at Pharmasave in Steinbach, is looking forward to helping his community get the health help they deserve, especially when they need it most.
“There are a lot of people around town who have complex medical issues, and they’re not getting help in a timely manner,” he shares. “We have many clients who have made the switch because they weren’t getting the service they needed elsewhere.”
In the short period of time since Pharmasave opened in Steinbach, their team has fostered and maintained great relationships with doctors and nurse practitioners throughout the area. Strong professional skill paired with quick communication means it’s easy for Pharmasave to reach out and renew prescriptions.
“Plus, it’s very easy to transfer your account to our store,” says Penner. “It’s literally a matter of a phone call or a fax, and we’ll get your records sent over to us. You don’t even have to deal with your previous pharmacist.”
Penner acknowledges the current state of the province’s healthcare services:
“That’s one thing we didn’t really realize when we started out. A lot of doctors have left or retired, as you know, and Steinbach is growing. There is a critical shortage of practitioners.” Penner continues, “If you need a doctor and you call urgent care or Oasis, if you don’t call by 9:05am, you won’t get an appointment that day. So there’s tremendous pressure on pharmacists as a whole to be able to help.”
As pharmacists, Penner and his team do not have prescribing rights like nurse practitioners or doctors, but they are able to extend prescriptions, especially for chronic cases.
“We can also diagnose and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) now. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we’ll be able to do more down the road,” Penner adds, “Considering there’s such a demand for healthcare services.”
Having grown up in the area, Penner has a vested interest not only in his business, but in this community.
“I’m a proud Kleefelder. Born and raised on gravel pit trips, swimming, catching frogs, and riding bikes at 11 o’clock at night without any fear. That’s the small town that I grew up in, and I believe Steinbach and this area still retain that feeling. It’s different today,” Penner admits, “But it’s still a place I like to call home.”
Penner also stresses that Pharmasave is a co-op, an independent business that is member-owned and member-governed. They are a full-service pharmacy, offering free area-wide delivery, auto-refills, text notifications, and blister packaging. They also carry health and beauty aids, hair products, skin care, cosmetics, over the counter medication, and health products. They’re even an authorized M&M Express location, a service that many locals have missed dearly since the closing of the previous M&M Meat Shop years ago.
Pharmasave is open weekdays from 9:00am to 8:00pm, Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and Sundays from noon to 5:00pm in Steinbach’s Victoria Plaza.
