Indian origin Whaley Bridge pharmacist delivers vital medication during floods

AN Indian origin pharmacist manager at Well Pharmacy went above the line of duty last week to ensure residents of the town in Derbyshire didn’t go without their vital medication.

Now, Rajesh Modi, pharmacist manager at Well Pharmacy, is a popular and familiar figure in Whaley Bridge.

The Indian origin served his patients when hundreds of people were moved to safer places last Thursday (1) amid fears the damaged Whaley Bridge dam could collapse and flood the surrounding areas.

As the Well Pharmacy store on Market Street had to remain closed since the afternoon on Thursday, Modi, who lives about 12 miles away from the town, took it upon himself to contact local police, expressing concern for the health of his patients.

With a police escort, he was allowed access to the pharmacy which enabled him to identify those patients who were most vulnerable and in need of urgent medication.

He was then able to deliver this medication to those living outside the evacuation zone and even organised any undeliverable items to be held at collection points, allowing patients to pick up their medication.

Modi said: “During this difficult time, I have tried my best to help and support everyone that I can. I wanted to bring some calm to the situation by making sure people were not worried about their medication. I kept checking the weather as I knew I had to get medication to my customers before the heavy rainfall, which is why I delivered it throughout the weekend.

“My pharmacy team have also been brilliant; they’ve all been in touch offering their help and support. I really care about the people… so I had to do everything I could to help.”

The Market Street pharmacy team have been working in neighbouring Well Pharmacy stores to deal with urgent patient queries, as well as making sure medication that the pharmacy supplies for care homes is prepared and ready for the week.

Modi has also provided his personal phone number through local radio stations and community social media pages, so that concerned residents could get in touch with him about their medication.

Modi is of Gujarati origin. His family emigrated to the UK from Kenya in the 1970s.