By Adam Frisk

When you step into Pharmasave Haliburton Village Pharmacy, the typical “big-box” experience of fluorescent lights, aisles of industrial cleaning products, and a lotto machine shouting “winner, gagnant!” is nowhere to be found or heard.

Instead, clients are greeted by polished concrete floors, an elegant, peaceful atmosphere, and a curated selection of products from more than 40 Canadian, mostly women-owned businesses.

“When I decided to do my own pharmacy, I knew I could make my own decisions about how I wanted to see the profession evolve under my roof,” owner Lauren Wilson said in a recent interview. “But I also knew that to set myself apart with five pharmacies in town, I needed to do something a little bit different.”

After nearly 20 years working within a corporate pharmacy structure, Wilson reached a crossroad during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I just needed to go home at night at the end of the day and know I was working for the patient as opposed to somebody else,” she said. “I felt like perhaps I was a bit limited in where I could take my practice.”

After taking a six-week “breather” to contemplate leaving the profession entirely, the Haliburton-native decided to double down and do things on her own terms and in her own way.

Wilson opened her independent practice in August 2024, designing a space alongside her sister, an interior designer, that would eventually win a Pharmasave design award.

“A lot of the colours that we picked, we kind of went off, we veered off from what pharmacy standards were in terms of they wanted the walls to be a dark grey and the floor to be wood,” she said. “I pushed really hard to get certain design elements that I wanted, and then it turned out I ended up winning the pharmacy award.”

Beyond the dispensing counter, the pharmacy serves as a hub for local and national entrepreneurship. Wilson has personally sourced products from over 40 Canadian vendors, with a specific focus on women-owned businesses and “clean” wellness products.

“It’s kind of back to basics,” she said. “People are supporting my small business while I’m supporting their small business. And it makes me feel good that I can support them.”

But for Wilson, the boutique aesthetic just scratches the surface of her mission to transform the pharmacy experience from a corporate retail outlet into a vital frontline defence for Haliburton’s health care system.

As the province expands prescribing authority for pharmacists, Wilson is preparing to launch dedicated clinic days, or half-days, to assess and prescribe for common conditions that typically clog up physician schedules and the emergency room.

“My goal with these clinic days is to keep people out of the emergency room,” she said. “If they don’t have to be there, it frees up the physician’s time for more dire things. People can come in, I can assess them, and if there are red flags, I refer them. But for the most part, I can save so much time all around.”

Currently, pharmacists can prescribe medications for 19 minor ailments, including urinary tract infections, cold sores, eczema, and hemorrhoids. The Ontario government is looking to expand this scope and authorize pharmacists to assess and prescribe for 14 additional minor ailments, including strep throat and shingles.

Despite the planned clinical expansion, the heart of the pharmacy remains the personal connection Wilson and her long-time “right-hand girl,” Crystal Robinson, have built with their clientele, where familiarity is a medical asset.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the people who walk through my door, I know their name,” the pharmacist said. “I can probably tell you their address and what meds they’re taking at first glance. That comes with time and experience.”

Wilson is looking toward a busy summer and further integration with her neighbours at the Hops Drive plaza, including McFadden’s Meat Market and the upcoming Pet Valu.

“I wake up even now, a year and a half later, and think, ‘Oh, I own my own place,'” she said with a laugh. “It’s a profession where I can feel good about helping people and being a part of the community.”