Rexall's New Owners To Change Name, Update Equipment—But Keep Vintage Look

Rexall's New Owners To Change Name, Update Equipment—But Keep Vintage LookPhotos: Walter Thompson/Hoodline
Walter Thompson
Published on August 15, 2016

When Reliable Rexall pharmacist Samuel C.H. Ching was compelled to surrender his license in June, he could have sold his pharmacy to a national drugstore chain. Instead, he passed the venerable business on the corner of 9th & Irving to Sean Weekes and Will Steel, two New Zealand-born pharmacists who are eager to establish close ties with the community.

They're calling their new venture Sunset Wellness Pharmacy, and while it will remain a compounding pharmacy, they plan to make some upgrades to both the work area and the décor—without sacrificing the pharmacy's vintage look.

Sean Weekes, one of two new pharmacists at Sunset Wellness.

Weekes said he and Steel attended pharmacy college together in New Zealand, but their "paths crossed together just recently" after years of working overseas. Steel works during the week, while Weekes takes over on evenings and weekends. (He also works at a pharmacy in Concord and trains fourth-year pharmacy students in compounding.)

Compounding "is basically personalized medicine," said Weekes, who added that most independently owned pharmacies do compounding. Most patients are on hormone replacement therapy, but they can also prepare pain meds and drugs for pediatric and veterinary patients. "If someone can't take a tablet, we can make it a suspension," said Weekes.

The new owners are removing display cases from storefront windows.

"There used to be three or four pharmacies in this area, and now we're the last independent," said Weekes. "Sam [Ching] was very adamant that he sold [Reliable Rexall] to independent owners." According to Weekes, Ching had owned several pharmacies around San Francisco, including one near Union Square that he sold to Walgreens.

"Pharmacies in New Zealand are generally independent," said Weekes, "but 91 percent of the pharmacies in America are owned by chains. We found that pharmacists were not interacting with the local community as much as they did in New Zealand, so we want to bring that aspect to the Sunset." The new owners will mix freely with customers, who are encouraged to ask for medical advice, he said.

Sunset Wellness Pharmacy will retain the vintage Rexall signs that wrap around the facade, but Weekes said they plan to reverse the color scheme, with orange letters on a blue background. To admit more light and engage potential shoppers, they're also moving the large display racks away from the windows.

Weekes said they plan to reverse the current color scheme on the vintage Rexall signs.

The new owners are also investing in a revamp of the pharmacy's work area. They'll replace existing equipment and install a new ventilation hood and fan, a change required by the Pharmacy Board. As Hoodline previously reported, state and federal inspectors cited Ching for multiple violations regarding the storage, handling, labeling and use of medicine and controlled substances.

The owners are investing in new equipment for making compound medications.

Ching, who received his pharmacy license in 1957, "had a very long and distinguished career," said Weekes. "Sam's been in the local community for the last 60 years. He's really grandfathered us into this pharmacy, and has really helped us out." 

"We see the Sunset as a community similar to New Zealand," Weekes added. "It's a very close-knit community. We have patients who've been coming to us for 20, 30 years. We found that the Sunset has a great community aspect to the area, and we want to retain that."