For 20 years I helped my clientele understand how to get the most from their prescribed medications while working for my previous employers, but, when opportunity came to start my own pharmacy practice four years ago, I decided I wanted to take pharmacy to a whole new level, focusing my pharmacist capability in a far more effective way for my patients than ever before.

My style of pharmacy starts at the moment a patient steps through the  front door of my pharmacy, with a warm"hi" and "how can we help you" (in my opinion a significant first step on the road to recovery or improvement). No one is left waiting more than 10 to 15 seconds without being engaged. The same happens when our patients phone to get their prescriptions filled or to ask me any questions. Serving our patients quickly, efficiently and caringly is our highest priority. That is the first reflection of my pharmacy practice, and my staff make the first experience in our pharmacy positive 100 percent of the time.

My staff are trained to quickly and efficiently prepare all prescriptions our patients present while I focus on learning why they need their prescriptions and explaining how to get the maximum benefit from the prescribed medication to resolve or improve their health concern.

This style of pharmacy has grown a solid base of clientele over the past four years and contributed to the strength of my pharmacy practice financially. I started with nothing and one quality tech; now I have five quality techs helping me achieve my goal of offering my clientele excellent pharmaceutical care. I had gross sales of $1.2 million this past year, and we're still growing in a community of only 1,300.

It appears my patients like my style of pharmaceutical care, and surprise of surprises, it is very profitable. It appears my clientele like coming to me because of my knowledge and the caring manner of my  entire staff.

George Pettie BSc Pharm is owner of Fraser Lake Medicine Centre in Fraser Lake, BC, and a recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Pharmacy Practices award among the 150 independently owned uniPHARM Wholesale Drugs locations in British Columbia, Alberta and Yukon.