Reaney’s Chemist , Hillsborough

Reaney’s Chemist , Hillsborough

NR talks to Jeffrey Reaney about what makes his award-winning pharmacy stand out from the crowd…

Reaney’s Chemist has been serving the people of Hillsborough since 1963 and, thanks to its focus on personal service and exclusive products the business is performing well with last year showing an increase on 2012.

Run by Jeffrey and Christine Reaney, the business was named Pharmacy of the Year at the 2013 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards.

Whilst Hillsborough has a bustling high street, the out of town development at Sprucefield is only a short distance away so retailers in the village are constantly having to offer a point of difference.

That said; Hillsborough seems to be faring well despite the past few difficult years.

“Customer confidence appears to be improving,” explained Jeffrey Reaney.

“We have noticed a return to customers wanting to shop locally on a day to day basis. Several new businesses have opened in Hillsborough in the past year and this has helped increase customer footfall, especially at weekends when families are enjoying a day out shopping, having lunch followed by a walk round the forest park and lake.”

Jeffrey said parking restrictions in the village, which are soon to be extended, will particularly benefit the elderly and people with young children who like to have easy access to the shops.

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Back in the early 60s when Jeffrey’s father Verus opened his shop things were very different but the ethos remains the same, to provide a friendly, professional service to all customers.

Since then, the business has built up a strong reputation and following a major refit,

Has now increased the number of retail lines available in store. Jeffrey believes the business is now positioned to offer its customers more services.

He explained: “We try to offer a different varied and exclusive range of stock – many of which are not available in other stores.

“We stock exclusive skincare products and perfumes for ladies and gent. In addition, we have created a gift section which includes cards and stationery, leather goods and other gifts.

“We also stock a wide range of children’s toys and baby gifts .The customer’s selection of all our products is dependent on the expert training and knowledge of our very helpful staff.”

Like all pharmacies, the business is made up of a large NHS prescription turnover and the balance is made up of over the counter (OTC) products. In recent years the OTC products have extended greatly into well-being products such as herbal and other health supplements as customers are becoming much more health focused.

Providing essential services has become more difficult as the Community Pharmacy contract is still waiting to be finalised.

However, Jeffrey and Christine do provide a large range of additional services such as weight loss, blood pressure, medicines use review, medicine adherence reviews, Medidose compliance packs, minor ailment services and prescription collection and delivery.

Prescription collection/deliveries are becoming a big part of the daily workload. The chemist can also deliver oxygen and make up dispense weekly pillboxes for people who find it difficult to manage their own medicines, which is greatly appreciated by patients.

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“The Community Pharmacy contract for Northern Ireland is a very complex issue and as such certain areas of agreement are still ongoing,” said Jeffrey.

“It has been very hard for pharmacy contractors to provide essential services when funding has been drastically reduced, but the associated workload has continued to increase. Community Pharmacists are under extreme pressure to provide an ever increasing list of support services within the constraints of their normal working day.”

Like many pharmacies, Reaney’s has focused on offering a substantial retail offering and in the past year has greatly extended its range of products whilst always looking to develop a niche or offer something that bit different.

Jeffrey said: “We are always on the lookout for new ideas and products which will appeal to our customers and encourage them to keep returning to us. Displaying of merchandise is something we spend a lot of time on to ensure our pharmacy is an inviting environment.

“On a general note, we also have a Digital Sony photo lab, D&P film processing, cine/video tape transfer to DVD and passport/visa photo service which is extremely popular.”

With such a wealth of services and focus on customer needs, it’s not surprising that  V.E. Reaney Chemist was crowned NR Pharmacy of the Year 2013 in a hotly contested category that features some of the best operators across NI.

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Commenting on the win, Jeffrey said: “In recent years we have been a finalist on several occasions but to win it was a fantastic achievement and a great surprise for myself and the whole team.

“Our staff have all been with us for many years and are extremely hardworking and loyal. They were very proud to be acknowledged as winners and winning this prestigious award has given us all the determination to continue to strive for future success.”

Talking of the future, Jeffery and Christine will continue to work hard to maintain the high standards that the people of Hillsborough and surrounding areas have come to expect, and who knows, maybe more awards will come their way!

“We want to continue to provide a first class personal service to all our customers,” said Jeffrey.

“And crucially, we will ensure that we continue to rise to the challenge of meeting all our patients healthcare needs.”