Despite the slow economy, the owners of Maui Clinic Pharmacy are expanding their business and aiming to open a new pharmacy and gift store in Paia as early as next week, The Maui News reported today

"Drugs are not a luxury item, therefore you need to take them no matter the condition of the economy," explained pharmacy owner Les Krenk.

In fact, Krenk said, the Maui Clinic Pharmacy in Kahului is "on record pace" for the number of prescriptions filled for a 12-month period, and he is seeing the numbers of prescriptions filled go up by 4 percent.

However, total dollar volume is down about 1 percent because of the amount of new generic drugs this year, he said.

The new Paia Pharmacy and Gifts store will open in the old Nagata Store in Paia, which closed June 30.

The Nagata family cited rising costs, aging equipment and retirement as reasons for the closure of the old mom-and-pop store that sold groceries, convenience items, fishing gear and fresh fish.

Several stores in Paia have also closed in the past several months because of the island's struggling economy.

Krenk said he's happy to run counter to that trend, keeping his Kahului pharmacy operating while opening one in Paia.

"Paia town is one of the neglected areas on the island for pharmacy services, we see it as a real opportunity to have a meaningful impact on a community," he said.

Krenk said he'll have a "minority" share in the business while his wife, Mae Salomon, will have the majority share.

The new pharmacy will be a separate corporation from the one in Kahului, Krenk said.

"I think it's going to be good for the community," Salomon said.

In addition to the prescription department that is slated to open as early as the end of October, as licensing requirements still have to be fulfilled, Salomon said the store will also have soft drinks, snacks and tourist gifts as well as first-aid items.

"We'll be able to serve tourists and windsurfers," she said.

She added that she and her husband hope to accommodate the needs and wants of

the community, and they are open to suggestions.

Salomon said she hopes refrigeration cases at the store can be used to carry Nagata's famous poke.

Krenk said there is a "huge population" of people in the surrounding communities of Paia that could use a pharmacy.

(There are pharmacies Upcountry, including in Haiku, Pukalani and Makawao.)

Currently, Krenk's Kahului pharmacy has around 150 customers in the East Maui area that could use the Paia pharmacy as their primary source for their prescriptions, Krenk said.

Krenk said the Paia store will be open seven days a week, with prescriptions filled during the weekdays and half days on Saturday.

Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.