PHARMACIST Kanav Sikka and his wife Sania run Winnersh Pharmacy and Clinic.
The new business, launched in October, is already proving popular with locals.
“We want to be known for the services we provide, not only as dispensing chemists,” said Kanav.
“We have a very friendly team, who believe that everyone should be greeted when they come into the pharmacy, and our reviews tell us that our customers really appreciate this.
“We’ve had an overwhelming response ever since we opened, and I’m really grateful to the local community for their support.
“Customers, local doctors, pharmacists, nurses, local GP surgeries, and nearby Sainsbury’s have all been very supportive.”
As well as providing over-the-counter medicines, the pharmacy offers a range of NHS and private services.
“The NHS Pharmacy First Scheme makes it possible for us to treat simple problems over the counter, releasing GPs to be able to deal with more serious illness,” Kanav said.
“We can deal with complaints like sinusitis, urinary tract infections, children’s earaches, shingles, coughs, colds and fevers – people can just walk in any time we’re open and ask for our advice – we’ll always be there to help them.
“If needed, we can prescribe antibiotics, and if further investigation is needed – a scan or x-ray for example – we will refer people instead to their GP.”
A private travel vaccination clinic, also at the Winnersh store, means that holidaymakers can book injections online or drop in to discuss their travel health needs.
“We can give all the travel vaccinations people might need, such as for hepatitis A and B, typhoid, cholera, and malaria,” Kanav explained.
“And we can provide a period delay tablet service for those holidaymakers who may want to delay their menstrual period.”
A private weight loss clinic can also be accessed through the pharmacy.
“We provide a full face-to-face risk assessment service, and if we are clinically satisfied that a person needs weight loss treatment, we can prescribe suitable medication for them here,” Kanav said.
“There is currently a lot of interest in weight loss, and people are buying medication online from providers they don’t know.
“When you do that, you don’t know what’s coming through your door – you don’t know what’s in the medication, or what it may do to your body.
“The government is cracking down on online pharmacies, which just go through a box-ticking exercise when prescribing.
“It’s much safer to go through a reputable pharmacy, where you will be carefully checked to make sure that the treatment is suitable for you.
“You will know what you are buying, and what you are taking.”
A private consultation room enables the team to ensure patient privacy when discussing health care needs.
“It allows us to sit down and talk with customers discreetly,” Kanav said.
“Confidentiality is very important to us.”
Other services provided by the pharmacy include blood pressure checks, ear wax removal treatment, flu jabs, and Covid jabs available from April.
With his Pharmacy degree and masters from the University of Hertfordshire, and as a qualified medical prescriber, Kanav is looking forward to serving the community.
Encouraged by, and grateful for, the support he has received from his entrepreneur father, he is excited about the range of services he and his team can now offer, and he urges people to support their local chemist.
“By going local, you can help us to continue to be there for you when you need us,” he said.
Winnersh Pharmacy and Clinic, on Reading Road, opposite Sainsbury’s Winnersh, is open seven days a week, from 9am to 6pm on Monday to Saturday, and from 10am until 4pm on Sunday.
People can walk in, without an appointment, for help and advice.
Parking is available just behind the store.
For a full list of services, and information, visit: winnershpharmacy.co.uk
