Easy Pharmacy Combines Service With Food

A pharmacy with a deli inside? You don’t see that every day.

Yet contains both within its Bridgewater location on East Main Street.

The pharmacy, which boasts a Manville location and expanded to Bridgewater in 2009, is owned by Kiran Parvatrao, a licensed pharmacist who decided to expand the business to Bridgewater in order to have a location closer to the Somerset Medical Center in Somerville.

“I wanted to expand and get more business closer to the hospital to get more exposure,” he said.

In addition to medications and deli goods, Easy Pharmacy serves customers within a 5- to 10-mile radius by offering surgical and other medical equipment, such as canes, walkers and wheelchairs. Parvatrao said that the store often offers a free delivery of these goods to those who need them within a reasonable distance.

“Sometimes, I go myself to deliver the medicine,” he said.

Opening a Bridgewater location was made easier for Parvatrao by his dealings with the township and advice he received that made the approval process much more simple.

“It’s been very positive, I had a good experience with the township," he said. "Bridgewater Township was very helpful in terms of getting me approved quickly. Sometimes, they suggest ‘if you do it this way, you can get approved quicker.’ They were suggesting things for me to get it done quickly."

“Before I jumped in here and went to the township, I had a discussion with the economic advisor," he added. "He is a liaison between businesses and the township. He knows the ins and outs of the township and helps the businesses, because sometimes there’s a missing link there.”

Since then, business has been so positive that it has allowed Easy Pharmacy to offer several special deals year-round, such as giving seniors and health care professionals 10 percent off anything in the store. The extra business has caused the store to have to be open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in addition to its regular weekday hours.

These changes and more have helped Easy Pharmacy stay connected with the surrounding community.

“We have flu vaccine clinics and all,” Parvatrao said. “Also, we reach out to the local community and [medical centers] for surgical supplies.”

Parvatrao said he is happy with how seamlessly Easy Pharmacy and Surgicals seems to have fit into the community, filling a void left by the closing of the township’s Drug Fair in 2009.

“We’re not as big as Drug Fair [was], but we’re a medium-sized, family-owned pharmacy,” he said. “It’s an independent pharmacy where you can get good service in a family atmosphere.”