After work, Zsuzsanna often sits at a window with a view of the bay, watching the cows during the day and the stars at night. She likes to pick the berries and plums growing on her street.
Above: Zsuzsanna and the Pharmacy Staff; photo by Ramon Ramirez Below: Szuzsanna on her porch by Juanita Gutierrez
The West Marin Pharmacy was due to close in 2006 after the unexpected death of Dan Donovan left it without a pharmacist and a replacement could not be found.
Steve Hadland, a local doctor, asked Zsuzsanna Biran, a retired pharmacist, if she knew anyone interested in buying the business. Zsuzsanna was living in Los Angeles at the time, but decided to see the pharmacy so she could tell people about it. She was not expecting to buy it. “There was a bunch of older people in the waiting room. Everyone looked solemn and worried; they had this anxious look. I thought, who is going to take care of these people? I guess it’s going to be me, if there is no one else,” says Zsuzsanna. Her husband flew up from Los Angeles the next day and they decided to take over the pharmacy. It took several more months to finalize the sale.
Steve Hadland knew people who were selling their house. They agreed to take the house off the market and rent it to Zsuzsanna and her husband. It took some adjusting to move from a four bedroom house in Los Angeles to a one and a half bedroom, but the location is beautiful. Eventually, they might buy a house, or buy some land and build one. So far the property prices are too steep.
In the end, the pharmacy was only closed for about six days, and Zsuzsanna was only in retirement for about a year. The prescriptions are now filled by Zsuzsanna, who did not find it difficult to come back to work. The staff stayed, and one extra person was hired. “Everybody who comes in here tells me how they appreciate what we’ve done.” says Zsuzsanna. She is in the process of remodeling and making the pharmacy more modern.