Today, Amcal Dixon’s Pharmacy marked 130 years of serving the healthcare needs of their community as what is believed to be the longest continuous family-run pharmacy in Australia.

Established in 1894 in Wynyard, north-west Tasmania by Arthur Dixon, four generations of Dixons have successfully run the pharmacy which is now owned and operated by pharmacist Kathryn Dixon. After Arthur started the pharmacy, he was succeeded by his son Robert, followed by his son David, before Kathryn joined the family business in 2000.

Kathryn said, “We love the Wynyard community, but we’re also proud of our heritage as a family-run pharmacy. We display memorabilia at the pharmacy from different stages of the Dixon family’s care for the people of Wynyard and the surrounding districts. There are many old books, utensils, bottles and jars.”

“Also on display is my great-grandfather Arthur’s dental kit when he covered for the local dentist if he was away. It was said he took to the surrounding areas for tooth extraction expeditions, indicating the community’s trust in our family,” she said.

“Growing up in a tight-knit community means I’ve been lucky enough to grow alongside my community members through many changes in pharmacy. Some of my earliest memories are of me hanging around the dispensary as a kid, trying to break into my father’s lolly drawer! The lolly drawer still exists – although it is often empty,” Kathryn said.

Over time, Kathryn’s family has seen the change from the imperial to the metric system, the introduction of computers and the PBS as well as the implementation of robots and vaccines. The pharmacy now has a registered nurse, offers LED treatments and has Tasmania’s largest pharmaceutical robot which helps in dispensing medications.

Sigma Healthcare’s CEO Vikesh Ramsunder paid tribute to the Dixon family’s commitment over four generations to serve their community and acknowledged Sigma’s enduring relationship with Amcal Dixon’s Pharmacy. He presented Kathryn with a special plaque to commemorate the family’s achievements.

“We know that pharmacies are at the heart of thriving and healthy communities, but what the Dixon family has achieved in a vibrant regional town like Wynyard is extraordinary. Sigma is proud to have supported the pharmacy as a first-line customer for over 110 years and to have played a part in providing professional healthcare products and services to the local community. Today Amcal Dixon’s Pharmacy continues to keep their community feeling well and staying well through patient-centric care, expert health and wellbeing advice, medication management, as well as a range of health services including vaccinations, weight management, sleep services, hearing checks, and health checks,” Vikesh said.

We are proud to have supported Amcal Dixon’s Pharmacy for over 110 years and wish them many more years of caring for their community.

 

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