Heath Pharmacy looks back on 15 years of serving the community

Heath Pharmacy, in Thatto Heath, recently turned 15 last month, with its staff now reflecting on what they have accomplished.

The pharmacy is one of the branches of Aimrx, and similar to the branch in Newton-le-Willows, is ran by award-winning pharmacists Paul Doherty and Martin Stratton. 

The branch on Elephant Lane prides itself on "offering professional, swift, safe service from local dispensers and Pharmacists to the residents of Thatto Heath." 

The team is formed of experienced pharmacists, with some having worked at the Heath branch since it opened. 

Reflecting on her time at the pharmacy, Leanne Jones, a staff member at Heath, said: "Sometimes it feels like it’s all been done in a blink of an eye, like we only opened five minutes ago, but then other times, when I look at how much that’s changed in the pharmacy, and the developments we’ve got now, it feels like we’ve been there forever.

"Especially with the lockdown, that was a very strange time for us but we thought it was never going to end.

"We’re a really close-knit team and we really have each other’s backs."

READ > Newton pharmacy taken over by award-winning owners

Sharing how the rest of the team feels about the anniversary, Leanne, from Prescot Road, added: "When Heath Pharmacy first opened 15 years ago, no one that day could have imagined this small and humble looking pharmacy would grow to become a community base.

"This dedicated team, some of whom have been at Heath since the doors first opened, are made up of those who have worked in pharmacies for decades, those who wanted to work in a different and challenging field, and those who were brand new to the world of work and had an interest in community pharmacy."

The pharmacy offers a variety of services including consultations, dementia support, and domestic violence support. 

The team pride themselves in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented hit on health services. 

The pharmacy detailed how "local pharmacies are a vital part of a communities' health care", with the branch ensuring correct measures were in place and all of its patients who were classed as vulnerable received the appropriate treatment and care. 

Heath also became a drop off point for locals to donate items to food banks which was well received within the community. 

The team even went above and beyond, with June Woodward and Aimee Bate, who joined the pharmacy when she was 16, did a sponsored parachute jump in 2016 to raise money for Clatterbridge Hospital. 

Aimee Bate pictured on a sponsored parachute (Image: Heath Pharmacy)

Positive about the pharmacy's future, Leanne said: "It is fair to say, that those who were there to open the doors of Heath Pharmacy to the community and hoping for a successful outcome to the modest venture can be proud that they have achieved all they set out to and a great deal more and will continue to meet and provide all that is asked of them in the years yet to come."

For further information on Heath Pharmacy, visit https://thattoheathpharmacy.co.uk/.