The pharmacy relocated into the town centre in 2002, joining three other pharmacies in partnership before becoming the busy pharmacy for the newly established 10-doctor medical centre and maintaining a large retail pharmacy in the town centre.
In 2005 the partnership was sold but Ian continued to work for the new owner until 2016, when the couple followed their son and family to Dannevirke. A quick phone call to Tom Ward and he had part-time employment until Friday, September 17, two days a week. He has really enjoyed working with Tom, and now Hamish Pankhurst and "the wonderfully loyal, knowledgeable and fun staff".
Ian says he has been lucky to do a job he loved which is also in demand. He says pharmacists are vital people in this modern world, the health professional most people see most.
His 52 years in the role have seen a lot of change. In the early days, pharmacists had to make up many prescriptions but now everything is pre-made and laborious record-keeping has been replaced in the 1980s by computer programs that record sales, order replacement products and even give a summary of how the business is doing.
With advancing technology and products, retraining has become compulsory under the NZ Pharmacy Council but Ian did not mind – he could choose courses and what he learned, he could apply to business.
The retail side of the business has not changed a lot, apart from the decline of photography when everything became digital. He said competition is tougher in the market but his range of products is not fundamentally different.
Throughout their 52 years in the pharmacy business, the couple have led dual lives, raising five children of their own (with 12 grandchildren so far), and fostering 30 children from 1979 in their own home after both trained as family group facilitators with Marriage Guidance, Rosie in particular finding a satisfying challenge in caring for children, having earlier trained as a primary school teacher.
This has led to the couple running a Department of Social Welfare foster home in Carterton for three years, helping establish the Open Home Foundation in the Wairarapa, and Rosie working as Guidance Counsellor at Rathkeale College for five years.
Now it is time to retire.
Ian loves golf and is very much enjoys the Dannevirke course and its great bunch of guys. He already plays with the vets twice a week between stints in the pharmacy. He has a big garden to control and spring is starting.
Rosie spends three days a week in Lower Hutt pursuing a Fine Arts Diploma. This was her first love before training as a teacher and she is now returning to something she absolutely loves.
The family are not far away, with the exception of eldest daughter Kirstin who is teaching in an international school in Laos.
Son Ben, his wife Sarah and their family are currently living with Ian and Rosie while their house is built, and just about everyone else (daughter Emily is in Hāwera) except level 4-bound Sam in Auckland were expected down on Friday to celebrate Ian's birthday and retirement with the Dannevirke Pharmacy staff and friends.
