New pharmacy ownership “a family affair”
The GB Pharmacy team. Photo: Neil Wilson
The new owners of The Golden Bay Pharmacy took over the business last? Tuesday. They say they hope customers will quickly notice improvements.
“The former owner, Gilda, wanted to go back to Auckland, and the pharmacy here fits well with our business in Motueka,” said one of the owners, Dave Ross. “It’s a family affair, really. Trish and I are involved, and our daughter Victoria will work here too. She has experience of our business systems so she’ll make sure the two pharmacies work together well. Our business partners are Mike and Carol McGrath.”
Dave explained that the first major change people would notice would be the return of Wouter de Maat.
“Wouter will be working four days a week, as I believe he wanted to when he sold the business. In the past, Wouter and I have worked quite closely together as small-town pharmacists. This is a way for the two businesses to achieve some synergies and some economies of scale. People will start to notice the improvements in terms of stock pretty soon.”
Dave said that there was no suggestion the pharmacy would have to close during lunchtimes. Also the problem of prescription drugs being in short supply - so that patients sometimes got only part of their prescriptions filled - will also disappear.
“We’re trying to bring back the service that Golden Bay people once knew here. Our aim is to provide everything that our customers and patients need. If something is not here, people just need to ask and we’ll get it in.”
Neil Wilson
