Hamish Barham Pharmacy Ltd

80 Main Street, Otaki, Kapiti Coast, Wellington

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based on 6 review(s)

Telephone (06) 364 8860

Fax (06) 364 5005

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6 Current Review(s) | 0 hidden

0 Archived Review(s)

sweetsbag

5th April 2016
I recently had a prescription filled at your pharmacy. There are several counters in the shop. When I was there, five people were in the dispensary.The prescription counter displayed an eye-catching array of sweets in clear unmarked bags. Price $1.50. Otaki is a low-income, high need community following the national trend of increasing type two diabetes. I was disappointed your store is displaying sweets precisely where people come to have a prescription filled. I checked other counters in the store. None display sweets. Nor are sweets on any shelves though various sugar replacements are. I raised the issue with staff who said "You always have choice"... then offered to get the manager. Her reply was essentially the same: "You always have choice"...In Otaki, with only one pharmacy, people have to drive 20k to exercise choice to get a prescription filled. In the meantime, the sweets are there, tempting if not adults, then their children. But more than that, what does it say about you, your business ethics? Yes, people can decide whether to buy sweets or not. But I do not believe the objective of the advertising business is information dissemination. The objective is sales and profits. The same with the sweets you sell. As a pharmacist, you know the danger of excessive sugar consumption. Perhaps you are unaware your pharmacy sells sweets. From the prescription counter. I do not know your sales volume but if your business is not doing well and profits are declining, I do not think it right to get a short term profit at the cost of long term health loss for the customers of this Otaki monopoly on providing prescriptions.When compared to the other products - not to mention pharmaceuticals - the profit would be small. As the bags of sweets are not labelled or promoted as fund raising - increasingly schools have dropped sweets as a fund raiser - could you at best remove them from sale or if they are essential to your business, relocate them, near men's toileteries for example.

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il0vesh0es

22nd October 2014
I entered the pharmacy today to purchase antibiotics for a UTI I had experienced over the last few days. As I had done this in the past I knew you were able to without a prescription. Once inside, I stode at the counter waiting to be served and was greeted by one of the make up staff behind the prescription counter. As above, I asked if I would be able to purchase some antibiotics for a UTI, "We do not give antibiotics for UTIs over the counter" in a rude tone. Embarrassed I replied "I had gotten them before from this pharmacy without a prescription" to which she and her coworker responded "IN MY NINE YEARS...IN MY SEVEN YEARS we have never done this" going on and on and on, before asking an actual PHARMACIST who quickly corrrcted them. Working in customer service myself I found this outrageous and for them to announce to all the customers in the shop so loudly, I was really embarrassed. When I go to a doctor or pharmacy I expect my visit to be confidential and not screamed across the store. This is just utterly disgusting! Trying to ease the tension, I said"Don't worry, its early "in which she snarled back " Its not that early". And once corrected not even an apology I knew right then and there I was not going to be purchasing from here. Being a pharmacy I expect the staff to know what they are doing and if these staff members are hired as specialty staff what are they doing handing out prescriptions and if they are asked a medical question I would expect it to be descreetly transfered to a qualified pharmasist instead of acting like a complete know-it-all! Will not be shopping there again !

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smo

7th July 2014
Now he has bought the Marewa Pharmacy in Napier, thrown out most of the stock and the Flybys and most of the staff who knew what they were doing. The new staff either don't have what i want, blame the computer or don't seem to care. i will be changing to somewhere else.

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Sunnyotaki

23rd June 2014
I am a local....and it gets no better. The last 3 times I have been in I have wondered around the chemist looking for something in particular. With 4 staff on the floor or behind the counter, not one came over to ask if I needed help during the 10 mins I was there. They were of course very interested in the 2 Reps that were there. Why didn't I ask for help? Because this is what staff are employed for... And if you don't " serve me" then I will go somewhere else.......unfortunately the only other chemist in town has limited stock, but for customer service I always head across the road. I can best describe the little customer service this chemist has to offer as limited and forced, guess that's what happens when there is no competition

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klang

24th November 2008
Recently I visited the Pharmacy to collect some photo reprints. Ok, it was Saturday morning and I expected it to be busy. I did not, however, exopect to be left just standing there for so long that my partner came looking to see what had happened to me. When the girl finally arrived she did not acknowledge me in any way, let alone offer any sort of apology. In fact, the only words she managed to utter were to inform me of the price. I was astonished at this treatment. May I politely suggest that you employ staff who do not have an I-don't-want-to-be-here attitude emanating from them. As a New Local, I will be voting with my feet and finding a more friendly pharmacy to patronise.

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mandmfryer

22nd May 2008
On Thursday 22 May, I entered Hamish Barham Pharmacy Ltd in Otaki to purchase Neurofen Flu and Cold tablets. I have utilised these before and found them very good. I entered the shop and waited at the counter as the assistants were busy. I waited for about 2-3 minutes and another customer came in and I was surprised that she was served first and I had to wait. They may not have noticed myself and I accept that. However when I was served, I informed the assistant what I would like to purchase. She enquired what symptons did I have and I said, flu like symptons ie fever, blocked nose etc. I informed her that I have just been off work for the last 2 days for the flue as well. She then preceeded to inform me as I was not local person from Otaki I could not purchase these as they did not know me. I stated, "so am I being disadvantaged as a sick person because I don't come from this area", she replied that was their policy. I stated in my work I quite often travel around the country and normally if cases like this arise, Pharmacies will ask to see my Drivers Licence, take the necessary details, for which I offerred her this. She stated again, she could not offer this to me as I was not local. She suggested that "go to the Pharmacy across the road as they may help you", I stated if I could have their verbal decline in writing for which she declined, saying, "I will not do this" The Pharmacy gentlemen then came over and again reiterated the 'local policy'. I then said to the assistant that I was desperatly sick and I would take whatever they had for which I then purchased Maxiclear Cold and Flu tablets and then left the shop. I then attended my meeting with a couple of 'local people' who have known me for years and knew I was genuinely sick and offerred to go back and vouch for me and see if she could get the Neurofen tablets. I awaited 10 minutes and when she came back, a person from the Chemist stated they would not do this as I displayed, "P like symptons ie agitatged". I find this most discriminating as I was not only declined to purchase Neurofen but to say I was potentially a P User is discriminating, embarrasing and insulting. I need to conclude that being a responsible REtail outlet with the drugs around these days can be very complex and I appreciate this, but how do people that are not 'local' know that they can't purchase certain goods until they get to the counter. As a consumer is this fair??? Lastly at the counter there is a sign stating if customers are not happy to talk to them and they will assist. Well, the only assistance I received was to be told to "go across the road to the other Pharmacy" is not satisfactory, again in my opinion only. What I would like to see is as a consumer, that people are warned by having signs, so we don't have to go an embarrising experience like this again. I will also be writing the above statement in letter form with my details and hand delivering this to the Pharmacy tommorrow. Thanking You for this opportunity to complete this form.

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