Matt DiGiovanni is a pharmacist and co-owner of Royal Oaks Remedy’s Rx in Wingham, Ontario. He and his wife Sheri DiGiovanni are graduates of the vanguard class.
Where They're Working
Matt discovered his passion for community pharmacy through his co-op experiences, and since then he aspired to own his own pharmacy.
“I always felt I would take the plunge and be a pharmacy owner one day,” he says. “After being a designated manager and developing my practice style at another independent pharmacy, the opportunity came up.”
Matt had met pharmacists Will and Cathy Schill through experiences at Waterloo Pharmacy, and he partnered with them to open Royal Oaks in Wingham. This meant moving his family from the Kitchener-Waterloo area where he and Sheri had lived since starting university.
“It was a challenge moving our family and starting on a new path. But having the right opportunity and the right business partners was enough for us to decide. We’re lucky to have the Schills and benefit from their expertise and guidance in the marketplace.”
Royal Oaks opened in 2017 and since then Matt has been introducing clinical services like diabetes assessments, oral anticoagulation management, naloxone counselling, and injection services.
Reflections on the Program
“I have always appreciated the opportunities that UW has provided me. I met my wife at UW, a lot of my colleagues are affiliated with the School, and we met our business partners through our experiences there. Sheri and I were part of the Vanguard class so being there from the beginning of the program we have seen it change and adapt quite a bit over the years. Needless to say UW holds a special place in our lives.”
Matt inside his pharmacy
“Working in an independent pharmacy with a smaller staff, you have a big job description,” he says. “But it’s been nice being here since day one. It’s given me a chance to meet our patients and neighbors as they stop by to see the new pharmacy and to discuss what differentiates us.”
Wingham is a city of about 3,000 people and that size allows for strong collaboration between Matt and local health care providers, including his wife Sheri who is the Pharmacy Coordinator with the local Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance.
“Being in a smaller community, if my patients end up being admitted to hospital it is likely to be Wingham Hospital. This provides a great opportunity for local community pharmacies to assist with admissions and discharges.”
The move and new pharmacy made for a few busy years for the DiGiovannis. But both Matt and Sheri are originally from smaller communities, and they saw the opportunity as a chance to get back to their roots and to raise their boys in the kind of environment that they grew up in. The business, while still quite new, is growing, and services like diabetes education have proven very popular.
“Being a part of a new pharmacy is exciting,” says Matt. “There is always a worry that we may not be accepted into the community as the new pharmacy in town. I make sure I don’t take for granted the trust that patients have put in us when switching pharmacies sometimes after decades or even generations at their previous pharmacy.”
Alumni Answers
UW: What advice do you have for those in community practice who are looking to take the plunge to owning their own pharmacy?
MD: Have an idea of the type of practice you would like and be ready when the right opportunity comes knocking. Royal Oaks opened when my youngest was just over 1 week old and Sheri and I had just finished with our student loans. We didn’t initially think we were ready but when the opportunity to practice in this community and in a setting that we knew we could make a difference presented itself, we had to take it. Having business partners with experience has undoubtedly helped us avoid some potentially costly mistakes during the startup process.
Non-Pharm Fun
“I was fortunate enough to be invited to play in for Wingham slow pitch team and enjoy exploring outdoor trails with the family. Huron county has a lot of outdoor activities and Sheri and I went snowshoeing with the boys being pulled behind us on sleds this winter. We are also planning on some biking adventures with the family this summer, but my big distraction is a fantasy football league with other UW Pharmacy grads. This gives a great forum for staying in touch and each year the alumni that comes in last hosts the whole league for a weekend.”
