Team at reopened pharmacy in Riverchapel aim to empower people with ‘proactive healthcare’

Eight months since its sudden closure, Ed Whelan reopened the doors of Riverchapel’s Pharmacy to be greeted by a sea of grateful customers from across the community.

The pharmacy, which has been renamed Whelan’s Pharmacy Riverchapel, reopened last Wednesday and is now under the new ownership of Ed and Veronica Whelan. The pharmacy team will be led by Ed along with pharmacist Peter Conry, formerly of Lloyds Pharmacy Gorey.

Owners of Whelan’s Pharmacy Gorey, Edward and Veronica Whelan, officially opened the pharmacy with a ribbon cutting ceremony last Wednesday at 10 a.m. A family affair, this was performed by Veronica, along with her daughters Anna (10) and Clara (6), and her son James (11). Following the event, Ed said that he believed it was important symbolism for them to see their Mum cut the ribbon as she plays such an important role in everything. Last Wednesday was also International Women’s Day, so it was fitting for us to mark the day in this way, he added.

At the opening ceremony, Ed thanked everyone who had contributed to the opening of the pharmacy and encouraged those present to ask family and friends to support this vital local amenity so as to ensure its continued presence in the locality.

"We are very proud of what we have to show here. We are a well-stocked pharmacy and are particularly proud of the team that we’ve put together,” said Ed, who owns Whelan’s Pharmacy on St Michael’s Road in Gorey. “It is really important that an area like Riverchapel has a pharmacy. There was a real feeling of warmth and gratitude when we opened up today and we’d like to thank everyone for their support.”

Ed and his team hope to offer a service to the community that extends far beyond selling medicines and healthcare products. For them, empowering people to take charge of their own health through “proactive healthcare” is something that they are particularly passionate about.

Pharmacist Peter Conry possesses a wealth of expertise on the topic of nutrition and, in addition to his work at Whelan’s Pharmacy, serves as a nutrition lecturer at the Irish Institute of Nutrition and Health. His interest in the role of diet in promoting overall health is partially influenced by his time spent working in China and South Korea, where he noticed that the rate of heart attacks and many other health conditions were much lower than elsewhere in the world. Peter credited this to the fact that people in these countries were eating less processed and sugar-laden foods, which can drive inflammation and lead to a wide spectrum of health problems.

"Conditions like Motor Neuron Disease and MS were very rare when I left Ireland. The country was quite poor then. I came home during the Celtic Tiger years and these conditions had increased dramatically. They’re part of life here now. People’s lifestyles have changed so much,” he said.

Peter has supported patients with such conditions in adjusting their diet alongside their prescribed treatment. Through doing so, many have noticed a hugely positive impact on their health.

In the coming months, Peter hopes to run some talks in the pharmacy that can help to support people to make positive lifestyle changes in areas such as nutrition, sleep, stress and movement. He also hopes to run some simple and safe community trials with those interested in trying a food or supplement for a period of time.

"There is always something you can do to improve your health. You may not be able to control everything but food and exercise are things you can control. We need to place more of a focus on proactive healthcare rather than reactive healthcare,” he said. “It makes a huge difference to people when they feel that they are not just a pawn, when they understand that they can make changes.”

These sentiments were echoed by Ed, who said that helping people to help themselves is at the core of Whelan’s Pharmacy.

"Our business provides a service but it is not our primary focus,” he echoed. “We are a healthcare-focused entity. That is our key motive.”

“A warm and friendly attitude to all customers and going the extra mile whenever possible are to be the cornerstones of the daily routine at Whelan’s Pharmacy”.

Whelan’s Pharmacy in Riverchapel may now be contacted by phoning 053-9425252 or by emailing whelanspharmacyriverchapel@gmail.com, added Ed.