Sandycove Drug Store has been located in the Sandycove Mall for about 25 years. The location is central and is an integral part of the Sandycove Acres Community.
​
In September 2017, Cristina Privado Azzopardi, a Pharmacist with over a decade of years in the profession, took over the ownership/management of Sandycove Drug Store. Larry, the previous owner had known Cristina for several years thru a mutual employee. Cristina worked as relief Pharmacist at Sandycove Drug Store for several years before taking ownership in 2017. She's always wanted to practice her Pharmacy profession independently and run a business at the same time.
​
Since Cristina had taken over the Pharmacy, she worked tirelessly and persevered. At times, putting her personal and family needs aside in building a successful and thriving Pharmacy practice and business to service Sandycove Acres community and the neighbouring communities in Innisfil.
​
Cristina is very proud of the transformation, expansion and growth of Sandycove Drug Store. The original size of the Pharmacy is less than 700 sqft. The renovation and expansion included the unit previously occupied by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). An interesting fact is the bank vault still exist in the unit. Timing and completion of tasks during renovation was a challenge, but we always remained optimistic, knowing that the final outcome will be worth it. The renovation and expansion was completed in less than a year and it increased the size of the Pharmacy to 2500 sqft. The newly renovated Pharmacy allowed more space to accommodate new products and services. In September 2018, Sandycove Drug Store celebrated its First Year Anniversary. The occasion was extensively attended, supported and participated by the residents of Sandycove Acres and neighbouring communities; family; friends and Cristina’s staff from her other Pharmacies.
It was indeed a fun and memorable celebration!
Our Team at Sandycove Drug Store is our most valuable asset.
Cristina and her team continued to focus on improving and managing the health of the patients and clients and listening to their feedback to meet and service the changing needs of the community. The Pharmacy also facilitate and deliver in-pharmacy seminars throughout the year on various topics related to Mental Health, Weight Management, Cannabis, Immunizations and other health related topics. Sandycove Drug Store team also hosts several events like Coloring Contest, Pie Baking Contest, Medication cabinet clean up, Walker and Cane maintenance, Christmas with Santa, Christmas Tree Giving Gift and other fun and essential activities and events for the residents.
​
Majority of our patients and clients live at Sandycove Acres. The genuine caring service and friendly atmosphere we foster is what attracts patients and clients to our Pharmacy. We are optimistic that the service we offer will reach out to a wider demographics.
“When I took over Sandycove Drug Store, I had a specific set of goals that I want to accomplish. This meant that new and existing staff had to adapt to changes and ideas that better service the community.”
​
Adapting to constant changes and resilience during the Pandemic became the cornerstone of Sandycove Drug Store’s ability to survive and thrive during these unprecedented times.