Owned by Marty and Christine Swan, Pender Island Pharmacy is a long-standing island business providing essential services to residents and visitors on Pender Island.
Much more than a traditional pharmacy, it provides local access to prescriptions, vaccinations by appointment, basic health consultations and pharmacists who are available when residents need advice or support. In an island community where accessing services can otherwise mean a ferry trip, having that expertise close to home makes an important difference. This is particularly important on Pender, where the median age is over 60, dramatically higher than the B.C. median of 42.8.
The pharmacy is also remarkably well stocked. Alongside a broad range of health and beauty products and hair care, its shelves hold stationery and office supplies, cards, gifts, toys, puzzles, candy, souvenirs and everyday essentials, with an ever-changing selection that ranges from Christmas décor in winter to swimsuits and pool noodles in summer. It’s often where residents find something they need or visitors discover something they forgot to bring. That breadth of inventory saves many a trip off-island and makes the pharmacy a go-to place for far more than prescriptions.
Pender Island Pharmacy is also an important local employer, providing year-round jobs across its pharmacy and retail operations, including skilled professional positions, as well as employment and work experience opportunities for island students. Beyond its role as an employer, the pharmacy has a long history of supporting local organisations, events and the wider Pender community.
Its commitment to Pender’s business community runs particularly deep. A Chamber member for 25 years, Marty recalls that one of the first cheques they wrote as a new island business was for their Chamber membership. Since then, the pharmacy has regularly sponsored Chamber activities, while Marty served for many years on the Chamber Board, including as Treasurer. In 2026, Pender Island Pharmacy became the Chamber’s first Chamber Champion, stepping forward to support the organisation at its highest level of membership.
Through decades of steady service, adaptability and community involvement, Marty, Christine, and their team have built a business woven into everyday life on Pender Island, providing essential services, creating local employment, and consistently supporting the community they call home.