The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy provides a variety of wellness services and products. Sandip Patel, Pharmacist, owns and operates the Okotoks location, which opened in May of 2023. Everyone was invited to the grand opening celebration on May 17. The first 50 customers received free gift bags and were entered into draw for 1 of 2 $250 credit card gift cards. We had some Grand Opening specials for over-the-counter products. Ribbon cutting ceremony took place 11 am with cake and refreshments.
“Our franchise location has a unique and pleasant ambiance where patients can feel that the place is clinical, but still soothing and welcoming. We have lots of parking and are conveniently located in the centre of Okotoks (an easy commute for seniors),” says Sandip.
In addition to prescriptions, vaccinations, assessments, and solutions for a variety of health conditions, Sandip is happy to provide strep throat and vitamin D testing for walk-in patients.
“As we live in cold weather for almost 4-6 months, our daily vitamin D intake may not be sufficient for bone health, which can lead to further complications,” Sandip explains. “We are also planning for HbA1c testing, which is very useful for diabetic patients to get better outcomes and health benefits. We also provide immunizations and injection services. We have a prescribing pharmacist available for minor conditions for when it is difficult to see a doctor, but the medication need is immediate (conditions apply; service is based on each patient’s health) and we provide over-the-counter products at very economical prices.”
The pharmacy also provides free travel consultations and free prescription delivery. As each patient’s time is valued, wait times are kept to a minimum.
“We have very minimal wait times to prepare prescriptions,” smiles Sandip. “If anything is not available, we can likely get it within a day.”
He continues, “For medication management, we engage one-on-one with patients in a consulting room where they can talk privately about their medications. Patient health is our top priority. Our approach is patient-centric to give the best experience and the best possible health outcomes.”
Sandip and his team know that it can be difficult to get personalized care, which is why they strive daily to provide it.
“A personal pharmacist is knowledgeable, trusted, consistent, approachable, and updated about medications or new changes that are coming to the pharmacy or to patient trends and care. We focus on making pharmacy services available to eligible patients that may not be aware of what is funded by the government of Alberta. Our greatest reward is patient/customer satisfaction.”
Sandip and his team appreciate the town and everything it has to offer.
“Okotoks has a fantastic healthcare community. Every healthcare facility including urgent care, medical clinics, surrounding pharmacies, vet clinics, dental clinics, etc. is making a difference in the community through the services they provide. They are an essential part of each individual's health outcomes. We are thankful to the Okotoks community for giving us an opportunity to take care of their health. We want to grow our professional relationship further by helping more patients with our personalized products and services.”
This location is planning to bring more patient services and technology to the region, including medical testing, which will be very helpful for ambulatory patients.
“We are currently processing home healthcare supplies approval,” Sandip adds.
