Cate's Chemist Community Care Program
At Cate's Chemist, Caring for You is a genuine motivation — caring for patients, customers, families, carers, and supporting allied health professionals and community initiatives. We are small, locally owned pharmacies with a 'big business' style Community Care Program that supports health charities, education, sport, volunteer organisations, and the environment.
Charity — Legacy Australia
We support the valuable work conducted by Legacy, providing services to Australian families suffering financially and socially after the incapacitation or death of a spouse or parent during or after their defence force service. Legacy currently cares for 100,000 widows and 1,900 children and disabled dependants throughout Australia.
Fitness & Sport — Townsville Kendo
"Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness" (Earl of Derby). We believe fitness and health go hand in hand. We support Townsville Kendo at Upper Ross and Castle Hill PCYC. Follow them at facebook.com/TownsvilleKendo.
Volunteers — QF8 Coast Guard Townsville
As business owners, employees, and family members ourselves, we understand how valuable time is. We deeply respect those who volunteer their time in our community. We support QF8 Coast Guard Townsville and provide an annual allocation of paid volunteer leave to our own employees.
Environment — Reef HQ Turtle Hospital
To care for the environment, we partner with the Reef HQ Aquarium Turtle Hospital — a meaningful fit given the medical supplies we stock, including veterinary health products and dressings that have bioequivalence with turtle care. Beyond this partnership, we have invested in solar power, LED lighting, paperless office practices, recycled paper, and emission-reducing delivery scheduling.
Emergency Fund
We maintain a discretionary fund in the program budget for support that cannot be forecast — such as cyclone, flood, or tsunami events. Local doctors can also request that a script be charged to the Emergency Fund when they believe it necessary to protect low income or at-risk patients who may otherwise stop taking essential medication to save money (conditions apply). The fund is limited each financial year — once it is exhausted, no further allocations are available until the next year.
People & Processes
Our pharmacy is supported by well-established incident reporting and WHS systems and culture. Cate's Chemist follows an "over-report" philosophy. Human resource procedures comply with relevant awards and the externally assessed Quality Care Pharmacy Program (QCPP) — developed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia in 1997, recognised as Australian Standard 85000:2011, and accredited by JAS-ANZ as a conformity assessment body.
Previous Beneficiaries
- Gold Sponsor of the 41st Australian Kendo Championship, Gold Coast — March 2016
- National Breast Cancer Foundation — fundraising support
- St Joseph's on the Strand Primary School — fundraising support