Pharmacist looks out on new venture

It's gloves off in the pharmacy industry in Kamo.
The retail centre in Whangarei's most northerly suburb has gone from having one pharmacy to three in a 20-day period, with the two new pharmacies within a few metres of each other.
One new provider is a dispensary inside the Bush Rd Medical Centre; the other a full dispensary/shop in leased premises in the same building and featuring a unique point of difference - a drive-by service.
The drive-by is potentially able to process faxed prescriptions from any doctor in the city or beyond for collection.
Unichem Kamo Pharmacy was Kamo's sole provider until late June, when it opened a dispensary in Bush Rd Medical Centre. That was part of its long-term development plan but it moved along quicker than planned when news that former Kamo High School student David Postlewaight was setting up as a drive-by pharmacy in Kamo.
Frances Hill, who owns the Unichem pharmacies at Kamo, Maunu and Onerahi with Lesley Eley and Shane Heswall, trading as Pharmcorp Ltd, said the group had had permission to lease space in the medical centre for a dispensary for several years.
"It was always our long-term plan but news of the drive-by coming in next door sort of escalated things," she said. "We had let David's business associate know but David decided to go ahead anyway."
Ms Hill said the new dispensary within the medical centre had proved popular with patients and the face-to-face contact between dispensary staff and medical personnel had been excellent for relationships between the two services.
David Postlewaight worked in Whangarei after training as a pharmacist, and then managed a pharmacy in Ireland for three years before returning to New Zealand two years ago, again working for a city pharmacist but intent on buying or setting up his own business.
He says a second pharmacy for Kamo is a sound business proposition.
"The research indicated that Kamo is going to grow massively and will comfortably support two or more pharmacies," he said.
He said Unichem never officially approached him and he hadn't counted on competing with a third but hopes his point of difference - drive-by dispensary - will see him gain a market share.
"The way things have worked out is a bit disappointing but we will just have to make the best of it. Business is a little slow but any new business starts off quietly."