It’s been one year since pharmacist Steven Defrenne opened Discount Drug Stores on Rous Road in Goonellabah. For Steven – and the rest of Lismore – it’s been a turbulent year.

With cupcakes and balloons to celebrate, Steven said he is feeling the community’s love and support after making it through the bushfires and the tough Covid period, which claimed jobs and businesses all over the country.

“It was interesting to start a new business as all that came about,” he said. “It’s been a crazy ride but now we are celebrating being here.”

Steven said throughout the Covid closedown period, his pharmacy was deemed and essential service and was still there to help out the community – providing much needed prescriptions to those who regularly needed them.

“It was a different experience though,” he said. “We had to take precautions, install barriers and sanitise regularly.

“We changed the business to offer free deliveries to help the community - which we still do now because doctors can fax a script through.

“Often we were the one point of communication for some people with chronic health conditions who were getting isolated. We helped out with a friendly phone call and dropping off medication.”

It wasn’t all rosy though. Stevens said he struggled to keep up with the constant demand for toilet paper, as well as hand sanitiser.

“I didn’t really experience people trying to hoard medications,” he said. “They were sensible and took trust in system. There was a short period of a week or two when asthma inhalers ran out though because everyone wanted one and it put a big strain on the supply chain.”

One year later, the pharmacy is still going strong. Steven said once locals got to know the pharmacy was there, right next door to the GP clinic and pathology centre, they had good support and have been growing well as a business.

“I love it here, it’s a beautiful part of the world,” Steven said, “All the different characters in this community and the people I see on a regular basis - everybody says g’day and has a chat.”

Discount Drug Stores is open 7 days a week but not public holidays. Operating hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday, 9.30am to 3pm.

Read more about the pharmacy: New pharmacy brings a fresh face to Lismore