UFS to celebrate 150 years of service

UNITED Friendly Societies, or UFS, pharmacy is celebrating a century-and-a-half of seeking to keep Bendigo people healthy.

First established in 1872, UFS initially provided medical and pharmaceutical services to miners in the region and was the first to open a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week pharmacy in Bendigo.

CEO Lois O’Callaghan said the not-for-profit hopes to celebrate its history over the coming months.

“We are very proud to be one of the few not-for-profit community pharmacies that still exists,” Ms O’Callaghan said.

Although well known in the community, Ms O’Callaghan said the brand wanted to draw more attention to their commitment to social responsibility.

“Our priority is to continue to have pharmacists working directly with clients rather than just in the dispensary,

“So, working directly with clients to improve health and wellbeing outcomes through the management of their medications,” she said.

There are five UFS pharmacies located in Greater Bendigo, including the 24-hour store on View Street.

“That service in particular is very important to the community, what it means is that people can have access to their medications 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Ms O’Callaghan.

“But aside from that, it’s about what we do as a friendly society,” she said, “any profits that we might make are actually put back into the community.”

UFS also provides an optical service and a vaccination clinic, which Ms O’Callaghan attributed to their friendly society model.

“We have sort of a broader view in that we’re not just a pharmacy group, we deliver more than just medications into the community,” she said.

To honour their history, UFS will host events and promotions in store over the coming months.

Customers are welcome to donate historic items such as old medicine bottles or membership books to be put on display.