From left, Berwick Pharmacy partners Andrew Davies and Lee Baker, Pharmacy Guild of Australia president Dipak Sanghvi, Geoff Hood and business partner Geoff Hume.By Jim Mynard
BERWICK chemist Geoff Hood celebrated 50 years in pharmacy last Thursday.
Mr Hood’s partners in the Berwick Pharmacy and staff marked the occasion with a surprise lunch for Mr Hood at the Pharmacy Coffee Shop.
Coffee Shop staff cooked up a mortar and pestleshaped cake suitably inscribed with the appropriate congratulations.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia president Dipak Sanghvi also presented Mr Hood with a certificate of achievement.
Mr Sanghvi said that to spend 50 years in one profession was an amazing feat.
He said most people had career changes at least every decade.
He said, however, that pharmacy was such a dynamic environment it had a career change every day.
“I have no doubt that Geoff’s peers, staff and patients all see the value of his experience,” Mr Sanghvi said.
“This pharmacy is a credit to Geoff’s commitment to our profession and the community.
“I am sure all join with me to acknowledge the tireless work that he and his colleagues perform.”
Mr Hood said he began working as a chemist at Parkdale.
Nevertheless, he had a good prescription for life because it was not all chemistry.
He had a keen interest in harness racing and breeding Angus cattle.
He also raced Formula Two cars.
During the course of his career he formed a business partnership with Geoff Hume and they became part of the Berwick scene.
They were in business where the Bendigo Bank is situated in high Street, Berwick, but moved to the new state of the art facility they now have a few doors along.
Mr Hood said he and Geoff now had two other partners, Lee Baker and Andrew Davies.
He said the shop eventuated when he and Geoff went on a study tour of the best pharmacies in Australia.
