Fresh look, fresh services

“Following the floods, we lost all our flooring, anything made out of wood,” he said.

“All our counters and shelving and so on were damaged. The plaster all throughout the pharmacy, in the storeroom and everything.

“At the time, we needed to keep operating, so we prioritised keeping the business going ahead of repairs and renovations.”

Just over two-and-a-half years on, the pharmacy began its renovations in May.

While the ‘before’ featured concrete floors and dust, the team continued to support the community.

This approach also remained during the three-week renovation period.

“It wasn’t ideal, but we made it work,” Mr Phillips said.

“We finally got organised, got the renovations under way and done.

“It was also a bit challenging because we had to do that while we were still operating, so we were very lucky that the builders worked with us.

“We did a lot of early morning and after-hours.”

Since unveiling the new look — marked by fresh flooring, new cabinets, signage, counters and coats of paint — the team has received plenty of positive feedback.

“Customers have been very, very good,” Mr Phillips said.

“A lot of them have come in and said, ‘Wow!’... they can’t believe it’s the same size, it looks so much bigger and brighter.

“We notice it’s not as noisy; we’ve got soft floors.

“We’ve also taken the opportunity to make a few changes that hopefully will mean that we can operate a bit better going forward.”

Looking ahead, the pharmacy is preparing for the potential expansion of the Victorian Community Pharmacist Program.

Since a successful pilot in 2024, TerryWhite Chemmart Rochester is among hundreds of pharmacies providing key services to customers.

“One of the strengths of the services is that you don’t need an appointment,” he said.

“The Victorian Government announced it’s going to expand to 22 services... and we’re keen to see what they look like and how we can make that part of our offering to the community.”

The services they currently provide are:

The program intends to take pressure off GPs and medical services, allowing patients to obtain medications without seeing a doctor.

Mr Phillips believes the program has worked well in tandem with Rochester’s existing medical facilities.

“This is a way that can add to the already-very good services in other parts of Rochester,” he said.

“We’ve got great GPs, we’ve got the urgent care centre at the hospital.

“This isn’t replacing it; it’s another, complementary part of that.”

Mr Phillips encouraged those interested in the services to come into the pharmacy or call them on 5484 1025 to confirm their eligibility.