The QuickPill team prioritizes shorter wait times, and with prescribed medications being available at the same place, it all saves time for patients.
Parth Ghelani used to work shifts as a pharmacist in towns like Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Orillia. He saw firsthand the need for family doctors in the area, and wanted to help address it. Now, after coming onboard to run a new QuickPill location in Orillia, Ghelani is part of the solution.
QuickPill was started by three pharmacists and has two other locations, in Barrie and Toronto. The Barrie location showed the team how big the demand is for family doctors and walk-in services. “Barrie is where we got the idea to expand to Orillia — because there is such a lack of care,” explains Ghelani.
The Orillia location opened in May at the 575 West St. S. plaza and is currently staffed by Ghelani, an experienced pharmacist, clinical assistant Phil Jaffe, and family physician Dr. Bashir Tanko. While working as a pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart, Ghelani won the 2023 Pharmacist of the Year award for the GTA North region. Tanko, who goes by Dr. Bash, is originally from Nigeria and trained in the U.K. with his wife, who is also a family physician. He has been a family doctor since 2013.
The concept of the clinic is to offer a walk-in clinic together with a family practice. Patients can walk in or are welcome to book an appointment with the clinic, by phone or with QuickPill’s easy online booking system. Patients who have a family physician are welcome, as well as patients who don’t yet have a family doctor. Whereas some walk-ins require patients to have a family doctor at their clinic, QuickPill only requires a valid Ontario Health Card.
For minor ailments, patients can also visit QuickPill and speak with Ghelani in the pharmacy for advice. Pharmacists can prescribe medications for a wide variety of minor ailments, including seasonal allergies, pink eye, tick bites, and UTIs. The pharmacy also offers free delivery of prescription medication within the Orillia area and free parking for all patients. QuickPill offers many other services, including staple and suture removal, driver’s medical exams, travel vaccines, and other vaccines like TB, COVID-19 and the flu.
The QuickPill team prioritizes shorter wait times, and with prescribed medications being available at the same place, it all saves time for patients. It’s a welcome alternative to visit their pharmacy or walk-in clinic, rather than sitting for hours in an emergency room. The opening of the clinic will reduce the pressure on the hospital, in a time when the healthcare system is overburdened and understaffed.
“People need new doctors and they like the services we’re providing,” says Ghelani. Although QuickPill Orillia is currently a mighty team of three, they expect to grow in the future — and provide additional services, including pap tests.
Helping people get care is the main objective, and the satisfaction of doing so is Ghelani’s favourite part of his job. “It makes us happy when we are taking care of patients who are in need.”
Visit QuickPill online to learn more about their services, book an appointment online, or register as a new family practice patient. The clinic and pharmacy is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.