If you have been in Downtown Drumheller lately, you may have noticed some sign changes at Riverside Value Drug Mart, changing to Riverside Pharmacy.
There have been some small changes for the company as they will be working with a new distributor as of November 1st according to owner Ray Ainscough. “We are basically changing with different branding. We are going back to Riverside Pharmacy, which is what we were when we first started (back in the 70’s). We are just doing a different buying group, PharmaChoice, instead of Value Drug Mart.”
There have been rumours that Ainscough may be retiring and he shares that those rumours are incorrect. “(The pharmacy) is still owned by the Ainscough’s. Locally owned and locally operated. I am not going anywhere. I am not retiring, not selling, I’m still here. You’ll find me here nearly every single day.”
The changes people will notice will be the cosmetic things like the signs out front, the signage within the store, and they will also see some new product lines on the shelves according to Ainscough. “We hold large no-name brands. It is called Option Plus. This will have items compared to the brand-name products, with a better price. Compared to what we had before, there are many many more items available.”
Riverside Pharmacy has been a partner with Value Drug Mart for a number of years but Ainscough admits that this is a new opportunity. “Basically, an opportunity. Sometimes change is good. There are a lot of things going on in the industry. We have a new contract coming up (with the province) in April, and there is uncertainty there. Plus, if we can get more products and better price, why not? Pass it along to our customers.”
It is also sentimental for the family to return to Riverside Pharmacy, what the store was known as when it first opened in Drumheller. “It has so much sentiment to me because when we moved here back in 1975, November 1st actually, this is something to bring back to the past. Going back to our roots.”
The changes will also affect their pharmacy located in the Riverside Medical office in Riverside Centre confirms Ainscough. “Instead of Peoples (Pharmacy), it will be known as R and D Pharmacy, that will be nostalgic as well as it stands for Ray and Deanna, myself and my wife. I thought it was kind of cool to do that as well.” There will not be as many changes there due to it being a smaller pharmacy but customers may notice some of the store brands there as well.
The changes have began and everything will be officially switched over for both locations as of November 1st, 2025.
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