Do you see your local pharmacy solely as the place to pick up a prescription when you’re not well? Have you ever considered it a place to help improve your health?
William Poggemiller, pharmacist and associate at Rimbey Value Drug Mart – which is celebrating its 101st year in the community – encourages you to take advantage of the knowledge behind the counter.
“We’re trying to improve peoples’ health, and that isn’t always associated with a pharmacy,” he says. “It’s really about utilizing our training and expertise.”
Changing role helps serve you better
Health legislation changes have greatly affected the role of the pharmacist in recent years. For example, William and fellow Rimbey Value Drug Mart pharmacist Janet Herzog have “additional prescribing authorization” that allows them to prescribe medications for minor ailments, from shingles to urinary tract infections, oral contraceptives to diaper rash and others.
Help quitting smoking, living with diabetes
Not only can your Rimbey Value Drug Mart pharmacists prescribe smoking cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban, they’ll walk you through ways to manage cravings and what to expect when you’re quitting. As well, William is a certified diabetes educator who helps clients manage the disease, from adjusting your insulin dosage to getting eating habits under control.
“It’s an uphill battle for people to make these kinds of lifestyle changes, so the more touch points they have to help them, the better chance they have of making it work for them,” he says.
Stop in for a consultation
If you’re having trouble getting a doctor’s appointment or have no family physician, your Rimbey Value Drug Mart pharmacists can help bridge the gap. They can order and access lab results and help monitor them, and help you monitor your blood pressure. If you need vaccinating for flu, pneumonia or dTAP (tetanus and pertussis, if you’re pregnant), or are travelling and need anti-malarials, antibiotics for traveller’s diarrhea or even compression socks for flying, they can help you with that as well!
Pharmacy has a colourful history
Few in Rimbey today likely visited White’s Drug Store, operated from 1919-46 by brothers William and Alec White. With a varied product selection not so different from today’s pharmacy, White’s was popular with families shopping for household items or treats while picking up prescriptions.
Energetic pharmacy graduate Selma Elvira (Mickey) Jepson bought out the Whites in 1946, and after winning awards for service in the store and community, she sold to George Wyllie in 1955. Over the decades George became a fixture in town and his store a central community meeting point. He ran it for 34 years before selling the business to his pharmacist Don Bresnahan and Don’s wife, Audreyann, in 1989. Patrick and Heather Rurka took over the popular pharmacy and store in 2004 and in 2017, they sold to current owners Rubicon Pharmacies.
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For your convenience, Rimbey Value Drug Mart delivers prescriptions free in town. William and Janet invite you down to the store for a chat about your health concerns. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 to 5 Saturday. Call 403-843-2020 for more information.
