A Northern Irish family-run community pharmacy celebrated its 70th birthday last month. 

Hughes Pharmacy was first opened on May 16, 1955 by Laura Joan Hughes in the town Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. 

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Laura’s son Paul joined the family business in 1985, and he commissioned a video to celebrate the milestone which saw staff and patients over the years share how important Hughes Pharmacy has been for the town since it opened. 

“We did the video and interviewed some of our long standing customers,” Paul Hughes told C+D. “I managed to find the first lady who worked in the pharmacy called Mena, she was only 15 at the time.” 

In the video (produced by IH Digital Media), Mena McDermott said she was around when Paul was born and was supported a lot by his mother and her employer, Laura Joan. 

“She was lovely to me, caring, and taught me a lot over the years,” she said. 

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Hughes said he also posted old photographs and remedies they used to advertise on social media so people could see how the pharmacy has changed since 1955. 

“My mother had old remedies for creams and coughs she would have mixed herself. Whenever a customer came in and said their Sudocrem wasn’t working, she’d have an alternative to offer them.  

“She used to make up her own tonics and we have kept that part of the business going as best as we can. I do a large range of homeopathic and natural remedies for anxiety and stress.” 

Late-night dedication 

He told C+D about the levels of dedication his mother showed over the years to the Enniskillen community. 

“It’s quite safe to say we’re widely known and respected in the community and that trust has been built up over the years. 

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“That has been built up because we used to live by the pharmacy. When we lived next door, there wasn’t a night that went past where there wasn’t a knock on our door and somebody saying I forgot to pick up my Calpol today or I have a sick baby.  

“My mother would never turn anybody away. We have generations of the same families coming to us over that period and probably onto a third or fourth generation of the same family.” 

Laura Joan left the business in the early 2000s and by that time, she and Paul bought another pharmacy in Newtownbutler which they have had for 36 years now as well. 

Despite the longevity of his business, Hughes doesn’t feel too optimistic about the future for community pharmacy. 

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“The situation is dire. The funding model does not stack up and hasn’t for about 10 years or more. We are grossly underfunded, and it is a struggle.” 

But for the 70-year celebration, Hughes commissioned a special cake which it had out for customers on its birthday. 

“Then right through the store, we had different promotions from 10% to 30% off on OTC items, cosmetics and homeware and had it running until the end of the month.” 

“The biggest achievement is that we have been family-run from our inception. Because I’ve been here so long, a lot of the community know me on a personal basis. I’m the only local man that owns a pharmacy in this town.” 

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It comes as C+D reported last week that a pair of Northern Irish pharmacists have launched a “groundbreaking” app designed to promote the “smarter use” of OTCs that they say could generate “up to £30,000 annually” for pharmacies. 

And last week, independent pharmacy chain Day Lewis celebrated its 50th birthday and hailed service to “millions of patients” since it first opened in Kent in 1975.