He also saluted the major contributions from his staff over the years.
“You can’t do it without a good staff. Al and I have both been very blessed to have had some very good staff members, and some of them have been with us for a number of years. It makes a big difference to your business when you have a very caring staff.”
Heeg and Chilton had operated a second drug store location in the Wheatland Mall from 1975 to 1996, but after 21-years they made the decision to consolidate operations under one roof. Three-and-a-half years ago they took over the former Saan Store (also the old Safeway store) and began operations at their current 15,000 square foot location on Central Ave.
“People have really responded to our new location as well as our new look to our operation,” Heeg said of the store which is one of Pharmasave’s largest locations in their entire franchise. “The size of the store, the mix of products, certainly was a new look as far as Pharmasave was concerned. We’re very pleased with it. There again, we thank our customer base in the Southwest and in the City of Swift Current.”
Heeg admits the pharmacy business has undergone major changes over the years.
“It has changed a lot. This is my 51st year in pharmacy, and it will be our 45th year in business. Pharmacy itself has changed a lot in terms of a pharmacist no longer being isolated in the back of the store filling prescriptions.”
“Pharmaceuticals themselves are very unique. A lot of them are very complicated in terms of reactions with other pharmaceuticals and side effects. A big part of our job is to counsel people, talk to them about their medications,” he said. “So it’s changed a lot over those 50 years that I’ve been in pharmacy. It’s a business that you have to keep very current with in your every day continued education.”
Not only does a pharmacist counsel patients on medications, they also help provide general health information. Heeg highlighted that the Gathering Room at Pharmasave is designed to provide information and seminars to share the most current information with customers.
Because of this expanded roll in the community, he is looking forward to Friday’s anniversary celebration and the chance to recognize Swift Current and the Southwest for the special place it holds for the Heeg family.
“This has been our home for 45 years and we just think it’s a great place to live. When we came to Swift Current we were accepted by the community and we have long-time customers that have been loyal over the years.”
“I think we have so much to offer in our city and I think that we are the envy of a lot of places in Canada.”
