They didn’t initially set out to become fixtures in the Soo.
But after decades spent behind the pharmacy counter – guiding patients through recovery, distributing medications, and offering a kind word when needed – four employees from Sault Ste. Marie’s IDA Pharmacy have quietly become just that.
Mike Chiarello, Maria Scaglione, Allyson Pulente, and Kim Lefave didn’t find their way into the professions via any grand career plans. Their stories begin rather humbly.
Each started young, hired part-time through family or friends, but quickly learned the trade.
All told, Chiarello, Scaglione, Pulente and Lefave have given more than 140 years of service to IDA — and their stories offer a glimpse into the type of commitment and care that IDA’s people demonstrate every day. It’s just one of the reasons the franchise has become a community mainstay.
For Scaglione, the path began as a university student. She took a front-store job at IDA to make ends meet.
“I worked part-time as a front shop employee while going to Lake State University,” she said. “I was hired through a family friend — it seemed the IDAs were built on those types of connections with family and friends.”
After graduation, with no immediate work in her field, Scaglione accepted an offer to train as a pharmacy assistant. More than three decades later, she’s now the full-time assistant in charge of blister packing for more than 200 patients at Queenstown’s IDA location.
“I take pride in knowing that the blisters I prepare allow people to live healthier lives,” she said.
“We aren’t just here to dispense medications — sometimes the healing is in how we make people feel.”
Scaglione sees her role as an advocate, helping patients who may not be able to take care of themselves or being a “voice” communicating with medical staff daily. That might mean calling a doctor for further clarification, or adjusting a customer’s blister pack. Sometimes it just means simply taking a few extra minutes to listen.
“There are times when we can get caught up in day-to-day tasks, but every once in a while, there’s that one customer who stops you just to say thank you,” she said. “Often they just want someone to hear their story.”
She said her colleagues have become like an extended family.
“For many years we weren’t just working for a company,” she said. “We stood out by working for people who we saw as family and friends.”
“We came to care for each other, and through that we gained a mutual respect.”
Mike Chiarello has worked for almost 35 years as a pharmacist at IDA. He began as a student, and joined the team in a full-time role after graduation.
“Working here has been incredibly rewarding,” Chiarello said. “I feel supported by a team that truly values patient care, and I’m proud to be part of a pharmacy that makes a real difference in the community every day.”
Allyson Pulente was just 16 when she joined IDA, thanks to a family connection. Ron Disano Sr., then-owner of the store, was a friend’s father. It started as a part-time, student job in the front shop. Eventually, Pulente said, that turned into a 44-year career behind the pharmacy counter.
“I realized how important my job was when people started calling and asking for me, specifically,” Pulente said. “Customers depended on me — that gave me a sense of accomplishment.”
She remembers helping some customers as teenagers, then watching them grow up, have children, and continue to come into the store with their own families.
It’s the compassion that makes it so rewarding, she said. That, and the relationships — both with customers and her co-workers — that have stood the test of time.
“There is so much compassion that is expressed in our jobs and I think that’s what makes us who we are,” she said. “The love and the friendships that I still continue to have with the people I work with has definitely made me a better person.”
Kim Lefave also joined the team at 16, after her sister helped her land a part-time job at IDA. The following year, she was offered a full-time position. Forty-five years later, she’s still there as a pharmacy assistant, leading the blister pack program and communicating daily with patients and their families.
“A typical day is spent in the blister pack room, processing and building packs, and communicating with patients about changes to medication,” she said.
It’s not an easy job. Being a pharmacy assistant is hands-on, and detailed, meticulous work. Part of the challenge is ensuring that every medication goes in the right place, every instruction is followed, and every patient is safe.
But for Lefave, the work carries rich, human rewards.
Anytime a customer expresses appreciation, it makes everything I do worthwhile,” she said. “It puts a smile on my face.”
She credits the strength of the IDA team — like Scaglione and Pulente — for making it all possible.
“We come together to share the workload and help out wherever needed,” Lefave said. “And we always manage to share a laugh at the end of the day.”
She said it’s the sense of community, and the pride in helping others, that has kept her coming back.
“I’ve had the privilege to work with great people who’ve become lifelong friends.”