New pharmacy arrives in the valley this month

Local residents who rely on chain pharmacies for their medications now have an alternative choice.

Pahrump Care Pharmacy opened its doors earlier this month at 1500 E. Highway 372, just a few steps down from the Subway sandwich shop.

Pharmacist Waseem Sarwar spoke about how his business differs from other pharmacies in town.

“We are a full-service pharmacy and we offer a wide range of services ranging from compounding specialty medications to medical equipment,” he said. “We are the only standalone pharmacy in Pahrump that is not a corporate or a chain pharmacy, so that puts us into a unique position where we are the only ones here who can provide you personalized and very friendly service. You come in and you feel like you are being acknowledged as a family member, and that’s how we treat our patients. We accept all major insurances, and offer free home delivery for medications, which is same-day delivery at no cost.”

Here for you

Customer convenience was also a topic of discussion for Sarwar regarding his new pharmacy.

“Our customer service is very good and we have minimal wait times, so we don’t have the long wait times as you see at Walgreens or CVS,” he noted. “With us, you just walk in and walk out. It’s as easy as that. We are offering COVID testing for which we have the PCR and the rapid COVID testing, and we accept walk-ins for that. We do our best to provide excellent customer service and we operate just like a regular pharmacy, so we receive electronic prescriptions from the doctor just like you would at Walgreens or CVS. It’s the same process.”

Expanded services

Aside from dispensing medications, Sarwar noted that his business offers additional services for customers in Pahrump.

“A lot of services here are lacking,” he said. “You don’t find a place or any pharmacy that offers a wide range of medical equipment. We have canes, braces, walkers and wheelchairs. We also provide counseling services as well, so if anybody needs a consultation about their medications, we have professional advice for them. I felt there’s a need for more services here and I think it will be appreciated greatly by the community.”

Prepping for flu season

Though Sarwar said he’s working on acquiring the COVID-19 vaccine, he did remind residents about the importance of getting vaccinated for the flu and other potential health conditions.

“We will be offering flu shots, starting at the end of this month and we’ll also carry the pneumonia and the tetanus shot, as well as shots for shingles,” he noted. “Right now the flu shots are on preorder, and they will become available at the beginning of October, so we will be receiving all of our supplies very soon.”

Education and training

Regarding his background, Sarwar was registered as a pharmacist in New York and worked many years for the Rite Aid corporation where he managed daily operations before eventually relocating to Pahrump.

“That gave me good hands-on experience of pharmacy operations and at one point, I decided to start my own,” he recalled. “I’ve been a pharmacist for four years and I felt like I was now ready to take on this job. I chose Pahrump because it’s a very nice little community. Our business hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. but we’re working on increasing the hours, so we can be open on Saturday as well. Our business is slowly picking up so we’re also hiring for a pharmacy technician position.”

For additional information on Pahrump Care Pharmacy, call 775-727-3905.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes