“The fun isn’t counting the pills, the fun is making somebody’s day better.”
SuperCare Pharmacy, supported by Guardian, has recently opened in downtown Chilliwack. O’hana, the owner, holds customer well-being and happiness as the number one priority.
O’hana has opened at the corner of Spadina and Main, at what he refers to as the ‘medical core’ of the city. The competing pharmacies nearby present a challenge, but O’hana is confident that his business will succeed, “because we’re different.”
O’hana worked as a pharmacist in Egypt for 15 years prior to moving to B.C. with his family in 2008. He then spent time working in various pharmacies while completing his Canadian certification.
Since becoming certified in Canada, O’hana established and ran Hope Pharmacy for three years. Great success in Hope allowed him to pass his business onto his cousin so that he could expand to Chilliwack.
With him, O’hana brings the philosophy to which he credits his prior success. It’s all about making customers happy, which means offering the best value and going above and beyond to make life easier for them.
“People may think that prescription prices are the same everywhere, but that’s not true.” O’hana says that he offers the lowest fees and zero mark-up to provide the best price.
O’hana also takes measures to simplify the process of purchasing medication. He offers free city-wide delivery, and has a technology-driven medicinal education system in-store.
“A lot of people don’t know what to ask for, or they might be too embarrassed to ask questions.” This led O’hana to implement a touchscreen, self-guided system which allows the customer to find product options by selecting the symptoms they are experiencing.
“At corporate pharmacies, you’re just a number,” O’hana explains. As an independent pharmacy, “I want you to be impressed, because I have more on the line”.
O’hana learned of the new location on a coffee run while visiting downtown Chilliwack. The Chocolate Shoppe building was for sale, and it made perfect sense for him. “Every pharmacist needs doctors, and there are six nearby. Plus, customers can compare my prices to the surrounding pharmacies.”
It’s important for O’hana to facilitate trust with the community. Inspired by Lock’s Pharmacy, O’hana hopes that generations of families will return to his pharmacy because they trust his advice, appreciate his care, and feel that they are getting the best value.
Though his children are still young, O’hana is already thinking about their future with the family business. “I built this for my kids.” O’hana explains. “That’s why I have two pharmacies, one for Tony and one for Karen,” to manage when they are older.
As you listen to him recount the interactions that he’s had with customers over the years, and observe as he carefully re-aligns the signage and products in his store, it is clear that O’hana loves what he does.
O’hana welcomes the public to stop by SuperCare Pharmacy (9225 Main St) for their medicinal needs.
The pharmacy is open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
