It has been a number of years since Valerie Roumi sold her Pharmaprix franchise at the Quartier Cavendish to the husband and wife team of David Banon and Sarah Ettedgui. The latter two also own the smaller but "beyond superb customer service" Pharmaprix on Caldwell Avenue.
Well, Valerie is getting back into the game. She will open a new pharmacy on January 13 in the Delly Boys Shopping Plaza on Westminister Avenue, taking over the space previously occupied by Côte Saint-Luc Kosher – now a few doors down.
"It will be a small pharmacy, accessed on pharmaceutical care," Valerie explains. "I will try my best to give personalized service and give all of my attention to my patients."
The game plan for Valerie is to begin specializing in compounding in the months ahead. Compounding represents the delivery of medication in various forms that are not readily commercialized. For example, making suppositories for people who cannot swallow pills, dispensing meds in lollipops, putting meds in treats for pets and making special formulas (in the form of creams, capsules etc.) and targeting specific individual needs. This will be a real bonus for there are very few pharmacies in the immediate area who do this at all: one on Côte des Neiges which does not have easy access or parking and another in Westmount.
"I will focus on pain as well as scar therapy, but this will begin in a few months," Valerie says. "I want to get a feel of my clientele's needs as well as physicians' feedback. I'm very excited about this and hope it will be a success."
Valerie had looked into the possibility of building a new pharmacy next to Beth Chabad CSL on Marc Chagall Avenue, but this vacant storefront turned out to be her best option.