Ask the Pharmacist – Allcare Pharmacy Mounthawk

As we approach the second half of 2022, here in Mounthawk Pharmacy I thought it would be as good a time as any to stop and reflect on the past few months and years and share my thoughts on the times we live in.

After more than two years of living through the worst pandemic in living memory, we finally appear to be coming out at the other side. This is not to say COVID is gone, but we are learning to live with the ever present threat. The vaccination programme has been a huge success in bringing down both the number of cases and the number of hospitalisations and it was wonderful to see such a big uptake among the population. Here in Mounthawk pharmacy we were proud to play our small part in helping people get back to living a normal life by taking part in the vaccination programme. We would also like to thank our loyal customers for bearing with us on the days when we ran our Walk In clinics and the queue outside the door seemed to stretch from one end of the Fat Mile to the other. It was a lot of work but so worth it and it really meant a lot to people. It is testament to the faith that people put in the programme that we now get to enjoy the freedom that we have today. So really I just want to thank people for rolling up their sleeves and helping us all get back to living again.

The pandemic also helped shine a light on the importance of our health-both physical and mental. The old saying that “Health is Wealth” has never been more apt and I think we all did a lot of soul searching during those months of lockdown. The Irish are such a social group of people and community spirit means so much to everyone. It is now more important than ever to rekindle those old friendships that may have fallen by the wayside through the lack of contact over the last few years. The isolation so many experienced over the last two years has taken it’s toll on a lot of people and not everyone is able to bounce back from it as they would like. So even if it is just a phone-call or a quick visit to an elderly neighbour….a good deed will benefit both you and them.

A wonderful night was had by all at the recent Women in Business awards and I would like to congratulate Mags on the organisation of such a wonderful event. As you will see in the rest of this magazine, there are a lot of talented ladies in this county and it is only right to shine a light on them. It is hard work operating a business yet all those women make it look effortless. I would like to extend my congratulations and admiration to all of the nominees and winners for the example they set and wish them continued success. They say behind every great man there is an even greater woman and here in Mounthawk I’m blessed to have 7 exceptional ladies that keep me on the straight and narrow. Bridie, Claire, Louise, Lydia, Maria, Marie and Niamh are well known to all of our customers and do such a wonderful job and I’m so fortunate to have them on my team. I’m sure all of our customers will agree. They are always here to offer their expert advice.

Next month marks our two year anniversary up in Mounthawk and I couldn’t be more excited. The time is absolutely flying by and we are so proud of our little shop on the outskirts of town.
To celebrate,
We will be giving one lucky customer a beautiful hamper in a giveaway on our 2nd birthday at the start of August. Just pop into store to enter your name and you could be in with a chance of winning!

I have been humbled at the warm welcome I received since I took over the running of the pharmacy in August 2020. You never forget the first day in any job but at the end of it I knew I had made the right decision. As a boy who went to school in the Spa and afterwards in the Green, I already knew half the customers on day one. Those that didn’t know me knew my parents or my grandparents (and we all know here in Kerry it is vital that you can place someone going back at least four generations!) As a team, we are so proud to call many of our customers our friends and don’t think we ever take your kind support for granted. We get so excited when you call in with happy news of a new job or a new grandchild. Conversely we hold back tears when we hear of bad news. We really take our role as a healthcare provider seriously and the trust people place in us is a privilege. It is such a strong community here in Mounthawk and I am so proud to be a part of it.

So I will finish by thanking you all again for supporting Mounthawk Pharmacy. In these uncertain economic times it is important to shop local to keep businesses in Tralee and Kerry open and I’m sure I speak on behalf of all other businesses in thanking you for your support. Thank you for reading this column and remember to pop into store to be in with a chance of winning the grand hamper. Until next time!