Templeton’s Pharmacy

A couple’s aspirations of owning a community pharmacy in their hometown have been realised thanks to six-figure funding from Unity Trust Bank.

David and Kerry Steel bought Templeton’s in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire following a £660,000 loan from the social impact bank.

They have ambitious plans to modernise the business and provide more services that will benefit residents through the Pharmacy First programme.

Kerry said: “David and I have raised our family in Kilmarnock, so this is very personal for us. It feels great to be able to put something back into our own community. The previous owner retired after 40 years so it’s quite a mantle to take on. She wanted independent owners to take over and continue the legacy and that’s what we intend to do. We’re both passionate about Kilmarnock and try to make sure that we buy from suppliers in the town wherever possible to support the area.”

After graduating in 2000 from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen where they first met, David and Kerry became self-employed locums and have worked in over 400 outlets. David has extensive managerial experience while Kerry was one of the first pharmacists in Scotland to qualify as an independent prescriber. She spent 10 years working in GP surgeries in specialist clinics such as cardiovascular and phlebotomy.

Since taking over Templeton’s, the pharmacy is now fully computerised, including in a private consultation room. A new technician’s role has been created and an existing member of staff has been trained to offer micro suction for ears.

Other new services being introduced include a focus on women’s health, men’s health, blood testing, methadone injections for substance misuse patients and in-person weight management treatments.

David said: “Most of our nine-strong team have worked at Templeton’s for at least 15 years and they have been so supportive about what we’re trying to achieve. We want to keep Templeton’s traditional values and old-fashioned charm and get to know our customers, while modernising at the same time. It’s really tough getting GP appointments so we want to take the pressure off surgeries and provide same-day consultations and treatments for minor ailments such as chest infections.”

When it came to acquiring Templeton’s, David and Kerry received several offers of finance but chose Unity because of the business bank’s values and customer service.

David said: “Unity stood out because of the personal relationship and support. We felt secure with Unity from the start. We knew they were really interested in our business from the questions they asked us in the early part of the application. They wanted to make sure that this was a suitable business proposition for us; that we could push it forward and be successful. That gave us confidence. Unity made the process as easy as possible.”

Jordan Hady, Relationship Manager at Unity Trust Bank, said: “It’s been a pleasure working with David and Kerry on the purchase of Templeton’s. They have a wealth of experience between them and the people of Kilmarnock will benefit greatly from the plans they’ve got for the pharmacy. At Unity, we’re proud to support frontline healthcare providers who make a real difference to the communities they serve.”