Business View Caribbean | February 2021

64 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN FEBRUARY 2021 LTD Arthritis, Rite-Aid Muscle Rub, Calamine Lotion, Mag-Trisil Antacid, Quick-Aid Anti-Fungal Cream, Psorex Ointment and Repel-x Insect Repellent Cream, to name a few. They are also the official distributors for the New GPC products (Limacol, Nutrophos, Ferrol, Codol) and Godrej’s Consumer Products throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Varune Persad, Founder and Director of V&S Pharmaceuticals Ltd, tells first-hand the fascinating evolution of the company – from ‘start-up’ to the impressive family business it has now become. He shares, “The company started in 1976 by myself. I was the only employee. Around that time there was an oil boom and a lot of money flowing into the country, so it was a good time for me to start something. After qualifying as a pharmacist, I never liked the retail trade, so I was looking for something different to do. And I always had a little likeness for manufacturing. So I ventured into that area and was looking to see how I could fit in.” At that time, pharmacies operated much differently, as the dispensary was almost like a small laboratory where pharmacists would do on the spot mixing and chemical compounding of certain antiseptic solutions, ointments, creams and even some cough syrups and lotions. Such antiseptic solutions included iodine tincture, mercurochrome and acriflavine which are used for cuts and bruises. These solutions would be prepared and kept in bulk at the pharmacy’s dispensary and whenever customers requested AT A GLANCE V&S PHARMACEUTICALS LTD WHAT: Provider of quality pharmaceutical products WHERE: Caroni, Trinidad WEBSITE: www.vspharmco.tt