Former professional netballer Karen Brown’s passion for scoring healthcare innovation goals has seen her continually break new ground.

On graduating from high school, Karen Brown had to decide whether to take up a place at the Australian Institute of Sport or pursue a long-term ambition to study pharmacy. Unable to do both simultaneously, she chose the latter option… then promptly scored a three-year contract to play for the Queensland Firebirds, on the side.

Fast-forward two decades and the lessons Brown learnt on the court as a member of an elite team continue to influence her approach to business.

A pharmacy owner since 2007, when she took over the TerryWhite Chemmart store in the semi-rural hamlet of Samford 25km north-west of Brisbane, she’s adroit at keeping multiple balls in the air – and at diving into new ventures that allow her to do things differently or better.

Taking the lead

In an example of her embrace of innovation, Brown launched one of Australia’s first dedicated sports pharmacy enterprises.

Founded in 2019, Batch Tested supplies third-party tested supplements – think protein powders, electrolytes and vitamins – to almost every professional athlete in Australia including our Olympians, AFL and NRL clubs.

A request for assistance in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alerted Brown to the opportunity to bring her sporting and scientific knowledge to bear for the benefit of the sporting community – and build a profitable new business into the bargain.

“One in five supplements that are sold in supermarkets and chemists contain traces of prohibited substances – enough to cause a positive test for an athlete,” she explains.

“Some sports dietitians came to me and said, ‘We’re struggling to find tested batches. You’re dealing with these companies all the time, you understand what the products are clinically and you know about drugs in sport. Can you please sort it out?’

“So, I launched this amazing side gig!”

Open all hours

And Brown continues to lead the way in pharmacy care.

In late 2024, she installed two of the country’s first 24-hour pharmaceutical vending machines at TerryWhite Chemmart Arana Hills, where she’s been the managing partner since 2018.

One machine provides a prescription pick-up service while the other sells items that are commonly needed after hours, or which some customers would prefer to purchase in private – from over-the counter medications for children to pregnancy tests.

The machines have proven a popular complement to the pharmacy’s full-service offering and have helped increase the size of its catchment. An impressive feat, given most consumers will head to their closest chemist shop to fill a script.

“A lot of my decisions in business are about, ‘How do I get people to drive past multiple other chemists to come to mine?’,” Brown says.

“When new technology like this emerges that can help me achieve that end, and help more people in the process, I’m happy to take the chance and go first – what do we have to lose?”

Championing a strong team culture

Brown also has a stake in a second Chemmart pharmacy in nearby Ferny Grove and runs an annual summit for fellow pharmacy owners.

It’s a lot to juggle. But Brown thrives on the variety and challenge, and the fulfilment that comes from being at the forefront of innovation in her profession.

“Drive and focus are engrained in you as a professional athlete and so is a positive mindset,” she says. “I’m extremely competitive and I constantly want to keep raising the bar and being one per cent better.

“I also know that a strong team culture can set your business apart from others like it – it’s the magic that attracts customers and staff.”