Kanahooka Pharmacy is the first in the region to offer quotes and policies to its customers through new health insurance comparison website Covad.

Mr McCann said while he aimed to get his customers the best price, it was the personalised advice that was priceless.

‘‘We know our customers, we know the state of their health, we know their risk of chronic illness, so we can make sure their policy really matches their needs,’’ he said.

‘‘For instance, I sat down with a lady this week and, after looking at the comparisons, there were three policies that suited her.

‘‘All were cheaper but I noticed that only one covered palliative care, and knowing she’d had cancer a few years ago, that’s the one I recommended to her.

‘‘She said she would have not looked at the different options in that level of detail.’’

Mr McCann said another customer, a diabetic, had not wanted to fork out extra money for the options of podiatry and optical, until the pharmacist explained that feet and eye complications were a feature of advanced diabetes.

‘‘We are able to help predict what customers might need now and in the future because we know them, and have already been serving them for many years,’’ he said.

The Covad kiosk was set up in the Lakeside Drive pharmacy  this week, and is already attracting a lot of interest from customers who are able to evaluate, compare and choose cover in-store.

Just over 160 pharmacies across Australia have joined with Covad, which will shortly add a ‘‘Chemist’s Own’’ brand of health cover. Participating chemists, including Kanahooka, will also soon be able to process health cover claims.

Covad founder Anthony Huxley said: ‘‘Years ago private health insurance had a presence in pharmacy but the model was flawed because there was no choice ... consumers trust their pharmacist more than any other healthcare professional.’’