Our Journey

Ouyen Pharmacy — Growing with our community since 2021

From a traditional country pharmacy to a modern rural healthcare destination.

Ouyen Pharmacy has undergone a remarkable transformation since March 2021, when pharmacists Alexander Look and Nicholas Wong purchased the business with a shared vision: to improve access to healthcare for the people of Ouyen and the wider Mallee community.

Recognising the challenges of accessing healthcare in rural Australia, Alexander and Nicholas set about transforming the pharmacy from a traditional retail-focused business into a comprehensive healthcare destination, offering a wider range of medicines, health products, professional services and clinical care.

A new direction for rural healthcare

One of the first priorities was improving the availability and choice of healthcare products. The pharmacy significantly expanded its range of medicines, therapeutic products and everyday healthcare essentials, reducing the need for local residents to travel elsewhere for their healthcare needs.

At the same time, the pharmacy introduced new pharmacist-led services, including vaccinations, medication reviews, sleep apnoea services, dose administration aids and preventative health programs.

Private consultation spaces were constructed to support these services, while partnerships with local healthcare providers helped bring additional services into the community, including pathology collection and visiting allied health professionals.

Importantly, the pharmacy extended its reach beyond Ouyen, providing outreach vaccinations, medication support and healthcare services to surrounding rural communities.

These changes reflected a simple philosophy: living in a rural community should not mean compromising on access to quality healthcare.

Award-winning rural pharmacy

Ouyen Pharmacy's commitment to innovation, professional excellence and improving healthcare access in rural Australia has been recognised through several prestigious industry awards.

These achievements reflect years of dedication to transforming a traditional country pharmacy into a modern healthcare destination, while demonstrating the important role community pharmacists can play in delivering healthcare to regional and remote communities.

Our achievements include:

2023 — Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Pharmacy of the Year Finalist: Ouyen Pharmacy was recognised nationally for excellence in business management, community engagement and professional innovation, particularly its expansion of clinical services and commitment to improving healthcare accessibility across the Mallee.
2026 — APP Conference, I Love Rural Pharmacy Award: Alexander Look received this national award in recognition of his passion for rural pharmacy, his advocacy for regional healthcare and his commitment to developing innovative pharmacy services for rural communities.
2026 — Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Victorian Pharmacist Medal: Alexander was awarded this prestigious professional honour, recognising his contribution to the pharmacy profession, leadership and commitment to advancing pharmacy practice in Victoria.
2026 — Pharmacy Choice Elevate, 5-Steps Recognition: Ouyen Pharmacy was recognised among the top ten pharmacies nationally through the Pharmacy Choice 5-Steps program, reflecting the team's commitment to professional service, continuous improvement and excellence in community pharmacy.

These achievements belong not only to the pharmacy's leadership, but to the dedicated team who bring its vision to life every day.

They also reflect the support and trust of the Ouyen community, whose continued encouragement has helped the pharmacy grow and evolve.

We are proud to demonstrate that a small rural pharmacy can achieve national recognition while remaining firmly focused on what matters most: caring for its local community.

A new chapter under Alexander's leadership

Following Nicholas Wong's departure from the partnership in 2023, Alexander continued the pharmacy's development, becoming its sole proprietor in 2024.

With a background in clinical pharmacy and business management, Alexander has continued investing in the pharmacy's people, infrastructure, technology and professional services.

Under his leadership, Ouyen Pharmacy has expanded its healthcare workforce, strengthened its clinical capabilities and continued to introduce innovative services tailored to the needs of rural patients.

The pharmacy has also developed strong partnerships with Mallee Track Health and Community Service, local schools, aged care facilities and other healthcare providers, helping improve continuity of care across the region.

These relationships have enabled the pharmacy to support patients beyond its own premises, including residents in aged care, people living in surrounding communities and those who face challenges accessing traditional healthcare services.

A new home at 46 Oke Street

In February 2026, Ouyen Pharmacy reached another major milestone, relocating to a newly renovated, purpose-designed premises at 46 Oke Street, Ouyen.

The relocation represented the culmination of years of planning, investment and commitment to the future of rural healthcare.

The new pharmacy was designed to provide a more welcoming, accessible and contemporary environment, with expanded retail space and three dedicated private clinical consultation rooms.

Named Seattle, Tokyo and Zurich, these rooms support a growing range of pharmacist-led consultations, vaccinations, sleep health services and other clinical care.

On 7 March 2026, the pharmacy celebrated its official Grand Opening, attended by Member for Mildura Jade Benham, alongside members of the local community.

The celebration marked an exciting new chapter for Ouyen Pharmacy and reaffirmed its commitment to delivering modern, high-quality healthcare in the heart of the Mallee.

Looking towards the future

Today, Ouyen Pharmacy is much more than a place to collect prescriptions.

From everyday medicines and vaccinations to sleep health, medication reviews, aged care services, pharmacist prescribing and preventative healthcare, the pharmacy continues to evolve in response to the needs of its community.

Our vision is to make Ouyen Pharmacy a place where people can access professional advice, practical healthcare solutions and genuine personal care, without always having to travel hundreds of kilometres.

While the business has changed enormously since 2021, one thing remains constant: our commitment to the health, wellbeing and future of Ouyen and the wider Mallee.

We are proud of how far we have come, grateful for the community that has supported us, and excited about what comes next.

Ouyen Pharmacy — Local care. Greater possibilities.