Ja Kyung Kim and Kunakar Pou operate Pharmasave on the Drive. A recent Yelp review says it all about their approach to business…
“This small pharmacy has the best pharmacists you can hope for. Both Kunakar and Ja are excellent resources; knowledgeable and full of reliable and helpful information. I have asked for all sorts of advice, and they have come through with flying colours every time. Even my doctor, upon hearing a suggestion sent by the pharmacist Kunakar remarked “Hold on to this pharmacist; he has great ideas!” Pharmasave on the Drive is absolutely my go to for all of my families’ needs. Trust these folks!”
Unique in the area, they offer compounding services. In addition to the what a regular pharmacy offers, a compounding pharmacy can offer medications and services that are not commercially available (products that have been discontinued, shorted, customized doses, topically delivered medications…).
In our interview with them, they said that initially “it was a way to specialize our pharmacy practice and offer a unique, custom service for the neighbourhood”. Over time their compounding services have grown into an empowering service both for the pharmacist and the client with the ability to make a medication, specifically customized to the client’s needs.
Pharmasave on the Drive can customize the medication according to client’s individual preferences, sensitivities or allergies to fragrance/colour, and flavour.
Ja describes how they work with adults who have difficulty swallowing tablets/capsules by making liquid preparations or offering topically delivered medications.
Compounding – It’s cool for cats too!
And they even cater to cats! “Some of our feline clients are very particular about the flavour and odour of the medications. I enjoy experimenting with different ways to make the medications more acceptable to both the cat and the owner of the cat”, says Kunakar. He tells the story of a cat that reminded the cat sitter that it was time for her medication while the owner was away!
The most common compounding questions they receive from clients are regarding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) benefits, side effects, and cost. Other common topics are eczema and thyroid dysfunction.
Community support is high on their priorities and this year, they enrolled in a vaccine matching program with UNICEF. For every influenza vaccine, they administer they will be donating a sum of money to UNICEF to help fund their global vaccine programs. They also work with nearby Britannia School in helping to fund their garden program, as well as participating in their hand washing workshops at the children’s summer camp programs.
And the team at Empower Health was delighted to host them in the collaborative event offering a joint health seminar, followed by a courtesy community acupuncture session. We look forward to many more collaborations with the wonderful Ja and Kunakar at Pharmasave on the Drive!
