Pharmasave

Since the first Pharmasave drugstores opened in 1981, the company has followed a model of self-governance and democracy, where the owner-operators are elected to regional boards of directors - Pacific, Western, Central, Ontario and Atlantic - to make decisions for the region, but each store operates independently to serve its individual community. This allows each store to tailor its programs and services to the needs of its customers, without compromising its ability to compete in the marketplace. "Pharmasave has a history of having great people at the regional level and great store owners who value independence," says Terry Blocher, CEO, Pharmasave National. "We've never wavered from that goal. We're going to remain independent; we're not going to have a corporate mentality. That doesn't mean we won't use good corporate-like methodologies to improve our business, it just means that we will not have a corporate hierarchy."