The Chemsave Cobar Pharmacy opened its doors for business on Monday, with mayor Lilliane Brady officially cutting the ribbon at a grand opening celebration.
Pharmacy owner Yong Cao said he was pleased to finally open the franchise pharmacy after several years of planning.
He said he thought Cobar was ready for a second pharmacy and that the community would be big enough to support two shops.
As well as providing the community with prescriptions, medications and advice, the Cobar Pharmacy staff will also offer free deliveries to people who have difficulty with transport such as the elderly.
Mr Cao said at the moment due to the restriction of floor space in the shop, they are initially focusing on stocking only pharmaceuticals but he has plans to branch out into other product lines in the future.
Mr Cao has previously worked in rural pharmacies which he said he enjoys.
“I like the rural country towns because people are friendly and we get to know our clients.
“Particularly the people in the country need us, I always try to be in a place where people need us,” he said.
Mr Cao said he won’t be working in Cobar full time, but will be a regular visitor to assist experienced resident pharmacist, Russell Smith.
Mr Smith has worked as a pharmacist for 45 years and also has a masters degree in management.
Mr Smith said the management degree helps him understand the conduct of business and not just the professional side of the pharmacy.
“I qualified in the UK as a pharmacist and came back to Australia just over 40 years ago.
“I’ve had my own pharmacies in Melbourne and worked in Victoria in retail and in hospitals,” he said.
Mr Smith has lived in Queensland for the past 20 years working in a number of businesses, as well as owning his own pharmacy.
At the beginning of the year he decided to make a change and began looking for work in NSW and western Queensland.
“I spent the last six months as a local pharmacist around NSW, which is when I met Yong and we got on well together and now we are doing this,” Mr Smith said.
“I shall be here 99 per cent of the time, and Yong will be here from time to time so that I can have a little bit of time off,” he said.
Mr Smith said he and his wife came to Cobar a few weeks ago to have a look around.
“I thought it was a pretty good place to be, so we made the decision to stay,” he said.
In his spare time Mr Smith likes to indulge in his passion for aviation.
He is a semi retired pilot and has plans to build a plane in his garage.
