Louise Fisher has purchased Pharmacy 44 and re-branded it to Hinemoa Pharmacy.
A former science teacher and John Paul College student has taken over ownership of Rotorua’s Pharmacy 44 business and reopened one of its premises with a new name.
Louise Fisher, 29, opened the rebranded Hinemoa Pharmacy’s doors at 8am on Tuesday, marking a “fresh start” for the business.
Fisher said her licence to operate Hinemoa Pharmacy was granted by Medsafe on Friday.
“We have rebranded the pharmacy to Hinemoa Pharmacy to represent a fresh start and new ownership. It also enables people to easily locate our pharmacy,” she said.
She remembered spending a day in the pharmacy in her last year of high school, a day that helped her decide on her career.
“After school I went to do my Bachelor of Pharmacy up at the University of Auckland and did my internship over in Tokoroa.”
Pictured with assistant Holly Tuhakaraina, Louise Fisher (left) was working as a teacher in Auckland when she came across the opportunity to purchase Pharmacy 44. Photo / Andrew Warner
Fisher worked at Te Ngae Pharmacy after her studies but then Covid-19 put another idea into her head.
“I started thinking about teaching.”
Fisher said most of her family members were teachers so the decision to try the pathway did not come as a surprise.
For two years, she commuted to Auckland during the week to teach science and chemistry at St Cuthbert’s College, returning to Rotorua on weekends and school holidays to work as a locum pharmacist.
“It was a lot of work.”
But Fisher said her plan was always to work in Rotorua, where she and her partner live.
After the suspension in May, Fisher heard Pharmacy 44 was looking to sell and she bought the business.
“It happened really fast. The opportunity to put up an offer came up,” Fisher said.
