Norquay, Pelly and district residents were pleased to discover that in spite of the retirement of Norquay’s only pharmacist, the district still has a full-service pharmacy in the community.
May Chan, who had operated the Norquay Drugstore for 36 years, retired with her husband Henry to Saskatoon on November 30.
The business was purchased by Aaron and Hillary Walter, who own and operate the Kamsack Family Pharmacy, where in addition to the two owners, the business employs seven other persons, including one other pharmacist, Dave Morari.
“We’re currently renovating the Norquay building in order to be compliant with regulations of the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists,” Aaron said last week, adding that during the renovations, the business is remaining open operating as a pharmacy depot. “We hope the renovations will be completed before the end of January.”
At the pharmacy depot, prescriptions are filled by the pharmacists at Kamsack, and then are delivered to Norquay daily, Walter explained.
“When fully opened, the business will be operated as a ‘lock and leave pharmacy’ in which a pharmacist will be at the store four hours a day (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) three days a week.
Walter said the business will continue as the community’s liquor outlet and will carry many of the products one expects at a full-service pharmacy.
Both employees of the Norquay Drugstore have been retained on staff, and Holly Hudye, a former lab technologist with the Sunrise Health Region, has been hired as the manager of the new Norquay Family Pharmacy.
The business will be open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and same-day service prescriptions are currently being delivered from Kamsack to Norquay Tuesdays to Fridays, usually before 5 p.m.
