SLC31-W1: Shop & Share Challenge - Visit a Small Local Shop

So we were told to visit the local shops. I love this initiative because those in rural areas feel overlooked, and it's sad to say that most of our reviews are made in big shops and in urban areas. So I decided to visit Ifa Ikot Abia, one of the villages in my community. And the shop I decided to review is a shop people are dependent on when they have health issues, which is the Chemist shop

This chemist doesn't have a name like those in urban areas where you see the name of their shop written on a board. This shop is a chemist's shop located in Ifa Ikot Abia village and happens to be the first shop in this village. It's quite small and just for the selling of drugs. People usually address those selling drugs in chemist shops as NURSE or DOCTOR.

The shop is the only visible chemist shop in this village. So when the villagers need to make drug purchases, they'll need to travel this far to get them here. I'd call this place Ikot Abia Chemist Shop because it's a shop villagers in this village rely on, and shops in here aren't that expensive, unlike shops along the major or tarred road. Should I describe? Oh yes, I'll describe.

Aside from villagers in this village coming to make purchases great, villagers from other villages and urban people travel down just to be sure of what they are purchasing. You know, when dealing with drugs, you must deal with a professional, and the owner of the place is a professional and licensed nurse.

The shop has been in existence since 2019, before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic, the shop owner has been using sanitiser in her shop because that was when sanitisers became popular, as you can see. The shop is still rooted even when others who started when the owner of the shop started have gone. It has stood the test of time.

	Hand sanitiser

To locate this chemist shop, there are various routes you can take, but remember that it's located at No 1. Ifa Ikot Abia Rd, Ifa Atai, Uyo. If you're coming from Ibiaku Junction, you can use Pan African Comprehensive School Rd to get to the chemist shop. Just drive through. The shop you see at the end of the tarred road, on the T-junction by your left, is the chemist shop.

If you're coming from Ifa Atai Big Junction, you can take a bike and tell the bike man you want to alight at Lord Ekong Avenue. He'll take you directly to the chemist's store because Lord Ekong Avenue is directly opposite this chemist shop. If you're coming from Plaza or Shelter Afrique, you'll stop by Ifa Atai Big Junction and then drive in straight without entering any street.

You can also use the road at Mbiabong to get to this shop. It's in between the junctions of four routes.

The shop isn't a single shop. It's joint with other shops, like a network of shops, and it's actually the first shop on the line. Unlike every other shop in the line of shops, this chemist shop created an extension for her patients, an extension that can accommodate seats for people who need her attention. If you check the other line of shops, you'll see that they don't have an extension. It's just a small space where people can stand to buy things.

The shop's extension is quite high and levelled in a way that doesn't retain water. The shop is protected by two opening metal doors, and there's an iron protector after the main door to prevent robbers from breaking in.

	Exterior of the shop
	Iron protectors as door

It is painted in white, and that's the unique colour used in any place drugs are sold. There are no parking spaces in front of the shop. So customers with cars actually park their vehicles by the street behind the shop, as there's enough space there.

There's a long bench and chair kept outside for customers to sit on. To me, I'd say this is the shop's customer service.

In describing the interior, I'll be specific about it because the interior has a lot of sections in it and you'll need to know the function of each sections.

• Over-the-counter Drugs Show glass: Before entering inside the shop, there's a show glass that contains drugs called 'Over-the-counter Drugs', and this show glass prevents you from gaining direct access inside the shop unless you're invited in for consultancy or other issues.

_{over-the-counter drugs.}

Those buying drugs stand here to make their purchases. Over-the-counter drugs are drugs that are usually displayed on the counter, so to speak, and these include antimalarial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory drugs. It also includes creams for body reactions and infections like

• Epiderm

• Nixoderm

• Vista Plus

_{picture of the Over-the-counter drugs section}

They are called Over-the-counter drugs because they are always within reach and are the drugs that are mostly in demand on a daily basis. There are shelves in the interior of this shop, and these shelves contain different types of drugs.

• Right section shelf: On this shelf, you can see drugs for children in syrup, blood capsules and bodybuilders, anti-diarrhoea drugs, etc. The shelf isn't filled with drugs because it's a local shop and not everyone in the village purchases certain drugs because of their prices. That's why you see the shop being scanty.

• Middle Section Shelf: This is the shelf people see from the outside when passing. It's a straight view for them. On this shelf you can see Pain relief drugs like paracetamol and Panadol, chest and knee pain drugs and all sorts of pains. You can also see the blood tonic section and cleaning agents like Jik and Dettol.

	Middle shelf section
	Paracetamol
	Blood tonic
	Cleaning agents
---	----

_{pain relief drugs.}

• The left section shelf: This section houses multivitamins, first aid kits for dressing wounds and attending to injuries, antifungal and typhoid drugs, including some other liquid drugs for cloth children and adults. A few testing tubes are there and equipment for checking blood pressure and the likes.

	Multivitamins
	Banner for drugs for healthy hormones

• Emergency private room: Behind the middle shelf is a small room where patients meet with the chemist in charge of this shop to show or reveal personal information without being seen or heard by others.

And this shop is licensed, so it's not affected.

• Chemist and patient desk: This is where the chemist or manager sits when attending to patients. She also counsels parents on this desk.

	Chemist and Patient Desk

This is managed by a nurse in profession. She saw the need to help people by giving them the best and preventing them from encountering people who just learn medicine as a skill instead of passing through school. Years back, the shop had light, but now, the shop runs on a solar bulb at night so that customers can actually see that she's still available. Up in the ceiling, you'll see the bulb that was functional when electricity was in the village.

	Lighting

The shop is as clean as a chemist shop where drugs are sold. If it's dirty and unhealthy, customers won't find it worthy to purchase drugs here. At the corner of the door, you'll see some cleaning agents or tools used to clean the shop.

I chose this shop for my review because from what I've heard, it has been in existence for years even when other shops in that line closed down. The chemist shop is the only local chemist shop in this area, and the fact that it is run by a professional makes it even more interesting. There are a lot of provision shops in my area or in that village, but nothing stands out amongst them.

Drugs are actually sold at an affordable rate here because she doesn't take in unnecessary gains for herself. And she also offers the best of services. I purchased vitamin C from her shop because it's been a long time since I had an illness. I just had to buy the vitamin C to clear sores in my throat. I bought the white and orange vitamin C. She packaged it inside a white drug nylon for me, and I paid her 100 naira. I wasn't given any receipt for the vitamin C

	Drugs I bought

Prices of other drugs include the following:

The owner of the shop doesn't just offer drugs to people. She dispenses drugs to patients who want to get them in a pharmacy, as they're not all drugs she sells here. She gives first aid treatment in this shop, counselling of patients, especially pregnant women, general awareness and others.

My shopping experience was an authentic one because I had to pay attention to details. Of all the chemist shops I've visited, I've not seen one that's handled by a certified nurse or medical practitioner.

These ones have either learnt it from someone or may have gone to some school for this purpose and not medical school. The owner didn't want me to pick her on camera. She is actually a mother and a friendly person. She treated me well and didn't chase me away when I went to review her shop. This is to say, she knows what she's doing and not those who would be hiding their cobwebs or feel insecure.

My shopping experience

The shop owner needs to stack the shop even more and also repaint the shop to look attractive. She needs to also advertise her services, and if possible, she can make use of information banners to bring in people. With time, she can also expand her shop by collecting the neighbouring shop while still serving the local people as that's her joy.

She's definitely not lagging in customers, though, because people can travel miles just to employ her services because they are 100% sure of her professionalism.

She doesn't lack patronage. She needs to bring someone who's trained or probably can train the person to work as a sales representative when she's away because, as a medical practitioner, she usually goes to work and the shop is closed until she's back. It's also funny to see that people would hold their problems and wait until she's back. Anyways, she's good, and her shop is just situated at the right place.