Working Life: I was 24 and absolutely naive when I took over the pharmacy

Oonagh O’Hagan, pharmacist, Dublin

Mon, 27 Oct, 2025 - 13:24

Catherine Shanahan

“I hail from Tyrone but I’ve lived in Dublin since the age of 18, when I came to study pharmacy at Trinity College. I was going to do medicine but I hate needles and felt I wouldn’t make a good doctor.

“After qualifying, I spent a year as an intern at Pierce Meagher’s pharmacy on Baggott St. I fell in love with the pharmacy. Pierce was my tutor and mentor. He’s a great guy who taught me so much.

I got to know the customers well and told him to get in touch if he ever decided to sell up. He got in contact four years later and we struck a deal.

“I was 24 and absolutely naive but, almost 30 years later, we’ve grown to 10 stores and we look after customers in 80 countries via our online store, meagherspharmacy.ie.

“I kept the name Meaghers over the door because it had been in Pierce’s family since the 1920s — his mother was there before him — and I wouldn’t be where I am today only for him.

“I’m always looking at ways to improve our service and to explain that a pharmacy isn’t just somewhere to visit when you are sick. I’m trying to change the narrative so people realise that Meaghers pharmacy is somewhere you come to for advice, products, and services to stay well. We’ve introduced several screening services and niche products, and as a pharmacist, I often align with important campaigns to raise awareness around different health conditions.

“Recently, I helped launch a new national awareness campaign to encourage people living with diabetes to take charge of their health. Called ‘Be the Informed Type’, it’s run by AstraZeneca in partnership with Diabetes Ireland. The aim is to empower people with diabetes to become more informed about the impact that diabetes complications can have on their bodies. Research shows people with diabetes are four times more likely to develop heart failure, while almost 24% aged over 50 develop chronic kidney disease.

“In Ireland, it’s estimated that 308,000 people have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be attributed to lifestyle factors and is reversible, while type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. Seeing first-hand the importance of proactive care for those living with diabetes is what motivated me to get involved in this campaign.”