With an abundance of pharmacies opening up all over Surrey, it is hard to determine which one is better than the other. Bains Pharmacy stands apart from the rest, because of its established name, efficient and personalized service, and many years of experience.
Bains Pharmacy, is one of the first Indian pharmacies in the region, providing professional medication services since opening in 1994. A full-service clinical, compounding pharmacy, Bains provides personalized, friendly and professional service at low prices.
While working in corporate retail stores, co-owners, Gursharan Bains, and Inderjit Hundal, recognized a need for a more personalized approach. They noticed a lack of medication advice and care. Prior to Bains Pharmacy, the Co-owners worked for corporate retail stores – Gursharan worked at Shoppers Drug Mart and Inderjit at London Drugs. They noticed that due to a large number of pharmacists, and a busy work atmosphere, customers, especially the elderly, were not being served properly. “Even though we were speaking Punjabi to them, we could tell that they really weren’t understanding what the medication was and how to use it,” recalls Inderjit. This prompted them to open their own pharmacy in Delta.
The co-owners saw a need for service beyond the prescription. A need for a pharmacy that was customer care focused rather than sales focused. Attention to detail with a personalized approach, and that’s when Bains Pharmacy came into existence. “At Bains, we provide education from start to finish. We provide knowledge not just on the product, but on what it is, how to use it, and what not to do with it,” says Inderjit.
Since opening, Bains has become a well-known pharmacy with a loyal clientele of more than 20 years. “We do things legally and ethically. There’s no cutting corners, the product and service is the best you can find in the country,” asserts Inderjit, “And we provide it in our own language and culture so people understand what they are using and how to use it. That’s our strength, that’s how we built this foundation.”
Bains Pharmacy’s strongest feature is its experience. “We have got the knowledge and the expertise. A lot of new pharmacies that have opened up in the last couple of years don’t have this sort of knowledge or experience,” points out Inderjit, who has a clinical pharmacy background having worked in a hospital for many years. “Doctors consult with us on the patients. We have the hospital and retail experience in our background,” he adds.
Some of the many services offered at Bains Pharmacy include blister packing, free home deliveries, daily clinical home services, colostomy care, wound care, daily dispensing, insulin injection services, seasonal influenza flu shots, travel vaccination services, and medication management.
Shedding more light on home services, Inderjit says it is for patients that have problems with their medications, especially the elderly. “We blister pack daily medication for the person. Our on-staff nurse will have the person consume the first dose in the morning in front of her. The next day, the nurse checks the pack to ensure that all the medication has been taken. If they need blood pressure monitoring, wound care or insulin shots, the nurse will do that,” he explains, further stating that doctors see them as preferred providers for this service.
The pharmacy has made a huge difference with home services. “We have had people whose blood sugar was out of control when they approached us. We blister packed them, and in the first couple of days their blood sugar was controlled because they finally got their pills.”
Inderjit shares a story of a chronic patient. She had health issues like diminished kidneys, diabetes, high blood pressure and low iron, and was admitted to the hospital frequently. The hospital asked Bains Pharmacy to take care of her. Now she is well controlled, and has been admitted to the hospital only once in the last six months. “Her health has improved dramatically. That’s a huge saving for the health system. We are not just talking about an elderly person’s health improving; we are talking about changing and extending their lives,” highlights Inderjit.
Besides these services, the pharmacy also does compounding. Bains Pharmacy has staff certified by the University of Florida. The team is also certified in bio-identical hormone training from Los Angeles and Gainesville, Florida and have received certification from the University of Florida.
Bains’ popularity is such that it has recently opened a second location, called Platinum Care Pharmacy, located in South Surrey. Branded as an I.D.A., the new pharmacy will offer all the services that Bains Pharmacy does, and will be focussed on compounding and anti-aging creams. “We are moving into anti-aging, bio-identical hormones, and custom-made creams made specifically for each patient – that’s our new venture,” shares Inderjit.
There is a huge demand for antiaging creams in the market, points out Inderjit. “Once you get to a certain age, things start changing. People want to look good forever, it’s a big industry. A lot of people in our community are into it. Hormones are changing, skin starts loosening a bit, wrinkles appear – these creams really help counteract that.” Creams are made on site to commercial manufacturers standards by investing in high tech equipment, such as sterile hoods, and ointment mills.
All compounding is done through a physician, where blood tests are involved, prescriptions are given, and then it is manufactured- custom made based on the person’s blood work and needs. “The pricing,” says Inderjit, “is based on what the product is. We are going to be one of the lowest cost-providers in the industry for this service.” Both the pharmacies deal with preferred Canadian drug manufacturers.
Platinum Care Pharmacy, backed with a history of personalised service and medical experience, has been doing remarkably well since it opened. An added convenient benefit for customers is, it is located right beside a medical clinic, and has four family doctors. “Response has been excellent. There was an unmet need out here, it has served that need. We pick up a mix of patients out here – a lot of elderly patients and young families,” says Inderjit. For service beyond the prescription, to get that understanding and personalized care, visit Gursharan and Inderjit at Bains Pharmacy and Platinum Care Pharmacy. Who knows maybe they will change your life!
