The Chisholm chemist, named the top pharmacy from 4000 across Australia, was to have been recognised at a swish awards night on the Gold Coast but the pandemic meant that was cancelled and the staff simply had to power through, instituting a raft of new arrangements to protect themselves and the community from the virus, including door-stop triage.

"I had a beautiful outfit picked out but the only thing I've been wearing are my uniform, my pyjamas and activewear when I get the opportunity. And a lot of masks and hand sanitiser," a good-humoured Mrs Young said, on Thursday.

Capital Chemist Chisholm won the Excellence in Business Management award and was then named the overall best pharmacy among the guild's 4000 members.

News travelled fast as a bottle of champagne arrived for Mrs Young on Thursday as she was flat out dealing with the needs of customers, including elderly people requiring a flu vaccination.

"It is wonderful news and we're very humbled to receive the award," she said.

"It's hard to get too excited when it is such a tough time for a lot of people. But it's also a chance to stop and reflect and thank my amazing team. We've been through a lot together.

"It's been a very busy year, with the bushfire smoke, then we had a seven-week shop fit-out and that was finished just before the pandemic was announced and now we've just had one of the busiest and craziest weeks I've ever experienced in community pharmacy.

"When this is over, and we will get through it, we will have a celebration that will involve the whole community."

A spokesperson for the judging group, South Australian pharmacist Nick Panayiaris, said Capital Chemist Chisholm had consistently sought to improve its services, performance and viability while maintaining its position as an integral part of the community it serves.

"This is an exemplar of the community pharmacy of the future," he said.

Mrs Young has two daughters, Violet, 6, and Florence, four, with her husband Hamish, a winemaker with his own label, Mada Wines. The bushfires had put an end to the vintage so Mr Young was home with the girls while their mum was on the frontline of this health crisis. And her daughters were very proud of the award.

"They had a special presentation for me when I got home last night. Put up a banner and made a little speech," Mrs Young, 38, said.

"They understand I'm not home much at the moment and they understand mummy has to help people and stay healthy because of the virus."

Mrs Young thanked the Guild and the Capital Chemist Group for always supporting the Chisholm pharmacy, especially through this crisis.

Her chemist, like others, had introduced door-stop triage to establish anyone at risk of carrying the virus, ensured minimal people in the chemist, introduced masks for staff for their protection, made more home deliveries to vulnerable people and monitored the supply of medicines including preventing stockpiling.

"They're all things we've never had to do and hope we never have to do again. I'm sure we will learn from this and improve," she said.

And she was conscious of the sacrifices being made.

"I'd like to give a shoutout to everyone working on the frontline but especially community pharmacists who have really gone above and beyond," she said.