It has been a busy few years for two of Cobram’s top pharmacists.
Over a year on from relocating along Punt Rd, co-owners of what is now Terry White Chemmart Paul Ukich and Tamara Bate continue to serve the community faithfully.
The change is a move from Amcal Pharmacy, owned by healthcare giant Sigma Healthcare, to Terry White Chemmart.
Yet, customers can rest assured providing the same excellent service to the community remains a key concern for Mr Ukich and Mrs Bate.
For Mrs Bate, having ownership in a pharmacy has always been a lifelong goal.
“It’s been really good. There are certainly challenges, but there are a lot of rewards with that as well,” Mrs Bate said.
They made the move out of concern for the state of Amcal, after owner Sigma announced it would be merging with Chemist Warehouse.
“It’s still early days,” Mr Ukich said.
“So far, people have said it’s nice and clean.”
The move has been fantastic for the business and staff, Mrs Bate said.
“There’s a lot more support for us — as owners, as a business.
“We can bring that into the business. And then … for the patient, there are lots of services for them as well.
“A big part of what I like about Terry White is their care clinics and their more professional services.”
Mrs Bates said they were looking to bring in new services for patients.
“We did a limited service [of vaccinations] in the old shop, but it was more of an after-hours thing. But now [with more space] we can take bookings,” Mrs Bate said.
Mr Ukich was born, raised and educated in Perth, but made the move to northern Victoria so that he and his wife could be closer to her family in the 1990s.
What struck Mr Ukich after the move to Cobram was “how friendly everyone was”.
Not long after arriving here, Mr Ukich had the opportunity to buy into the Amcal Pharmacy.
Then, in 2001, Mr Ukich bought the business outright.
He and his wife have lived in Barooga ever since.
For 20 years, Mr Ukich was the store’s sole owner until Mrs Bate came on board in December 2021.
“I’ve known lots of people over the years,” Mr Ukich said.
“You see people born, you see people grow up.”
After finishing high school in Echuca, Mrs Bate moved to Melbourne to study pharmacy at Monash University.
Keen to return to the country, Mrs Bate found herself on the road to Cobram the day after she graduated with her degree in 2006.
“I’m very much a country girl,” Mrs Bate said.
Cobram, she said with a smile, was “close to where I grew up, but not too close”.
After working as an intern for a year, Mrs Bate passed her board exam and began working full-time.
Not knowing many people in Cobram, Mrs Bate took the initiative to join the local netball and tennis clubs.
“I really enjoy helping people and getting to know them and building a relationship with them,” Mrs Bate said.
This sentiment is echoed by Mr Ukich, who said the most enjoyable aspect of his work was “having a personal relationship” with their customers.
Outside their work, both Mr Ukich and Mrs Bate involve themselves actively in the Cobram and Barooga communities.
Mr Ukich has served as a long-time committee member for the Cobram Tigers Football Club.
Mrs Bate and her husband have also sat on the committee for the Cobram Tennis Club, with Mrs Bate entering her 16th year as treasurer there.