The Eastpark Pharmacy in Dersley celebrated its 50th birthday on December 1. The pharmacy is one of the town’s oldest pharmacies and is a family business run by the De Beers.

The pharmacy’s founder, Diek de Beer, told the Springs Advertiser that, as a family, they are happy to be part of the community and are committed to serving.

He said that the community has been extremely loyal and supportive, allowing them to grow and flourish.

De Beer shared that when he started the pharmacy in 1975, all scripts were done by hand, and most compounding (various mixtures of ointments, syrups, and more was done in-house.

On a busy day, they might have about 20 scripts, whereas now anything between 180 and 200 is considered a rather slow day.

He said that in 1984, they moved into their new premises and were able to house doctors soon after. Being a family business, they also had the privilege of having De Beer’s daughter, Madi Kriel, join the business.

“Over the years, with the aid of technology, we have been able to serve higher volumes of clients and thereby be able to employ more staff, enlarge our business and even build our own premises to suit our purposes,” said de Beer.

De Beer shared that when pharmacy ownership was opened up to corporates, they had to adapt quickly. He said that when prices dropped, margins did too, and they had to be innovative to survive.

“What helped us over the five decades in staying in business is that we are always available day and night, sometimes even getting up late at night, being fair and having fair pricing,” said the founder.

De Beer aims to stay in the business in Springs and hopes to grow from strength to strength, striving to be there for the community.

He expressed gratitude to loyal customers and to everyone who has supported them from day one, and even to the third and fourth generations.