Molokai Drugs, Inc.

06/17/2026

FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATE…WITH HONORS! Meet our newest Molokai Drugs, Inc. employee, Shaianahlynn Hanaoka-Soares. You have seen her at Kamoi Snack-n-Go, Molokai’s only ice cream shop and our "sister store." Since July 2021, Shai has worked at Kamoi’s during her last year at Molokai High as well as during her breaks from college. She has given 1000s of ice cream scoops, cones, and bowls to customers from Molokai to Alaska to Germany! While back for holiday break in January 2026, Shai started working at the pharmacy AND the ice cream shop. A Molokai native, she attended UH-Hilo on Hawaii island and majored in psychology. We are beyond proud of her—Shai is the first in her family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree last month with Psi Chi Honors! She also listened to her ice cream shop and pharmacy “aunties” and graduated in four years. It has been a bittersweet time since her beloved “Papa Harry” passed away right before her graduation. We all know that he is smiling from heaven, proud of his beloved granddaughter. Congratulations on this milestone, Shai.

06/17/2026

Uncle Bobby’s Lina Lina Hawaiian crepes’ mix now back in stock at Molokai Drugs, Inc. Made with aloha by Mel, Amy, and Nunu. Support Molokai family businesses! These “pancakes” are amazing with lilikoi butter, Nutella, Vermont maple syrup or just plain powdered sugar.

06/13/2026

INTERN TO PHARMACIST! If you live Mana’e side, you have seen our Molokai Drugs, Inc. pharmacist, Brandi, running! Now a Mapulehu resident, Brandi is originally from Mililani, O’ahu. She is a graduate of Maryknoll High School, UH-Manoa, and UH College of Pharmacy. She has been working at Moloka’i Drugs since 2019--as a pharmacy intern, a fourth-year rotation intern, a post-grad pharmacy intern and now a licensed pharmacist. You may have also seen her at Agu Ramen on O'ahu (she was a server and a manager while going to college). When she attended the UH College of Pharmacy, she knew she wanted to work in a rural setting, "I have always been passionate about serving underserved communities through healthcare.” During her pharmacy school internships on island, she also developed a deep appreciation for Moloka’i and her people. She added, “My experience confirmed my desire in providing compassionate care and becoming an active part of my community—Moloka’i. I value the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of my patients and neighbors through my work as a pharmacist.”

Brandi has ‘ohana (the Hasegawa-Schmidt salt family) with Ho’olehua homestead here so she has visited Moloka'i before becoming a pharmacist and understands rural healthcare. She and her husband Cory Kamehanaokala Holt Taum also married at Keawanui Fishpond and have decided to raise their ‘ohana on Moloka’i. Their almost three-year-old daughter will be learning ‘olelo Hawai’i at Pūnana Leo o Molokaʻi in Ho’olehua in fall 2026.

Please stop by and see Brandi when you have over-the-counter or prescription medicine questions!

06/08/2026

***MOLOKAI BARGE UPDATE - We are picking up our freight tomorrow (Thursday, June 11th) from 9am-3pm.***

Good morning! All of our prescription drugs will be coming by air this week. Our refrigerated items already come by air several times a week. Thank you to the Molokai and Honolulu stations of Kamaka Air for helping us maintain normal pharmacy operations. We appreciate you!

06/06/2026

Aunty Rosie’s “aloha graduation” money cards now back in stock! $1.99 each. Perfect for grad parties!
🧑‍🎓

06/03/2026

On September 6, 2026, Janelle Lani Tancayo will be celebrating her 10th work anniversary. She is also a second generation drugstore employee. These are her words:

Molokai is more than just my home—it is my heritage. As the youngest of Michael and Cynthia Lani’s four children, I was raised with the values of hard work, humility, and island life. Today, I am honored to carry forward my family’s legacy and follow in the footsteps of my mother (the late Cynthia Alcon Lani) and my older sister (Jocelyn Lani Collier). I am the third member of my immediate family to have worked here at Molokai Drugs!

Serving this community is deeply meaningful to me. On a small island, we know our neighbors, we know our families, and we understand where the needs are. Everyday, we do our best to care for and support the people who make this place so special.

I am also a proud graduate of Molokai High and Intermediate School. Go Farmers!

When I am not at the pharmacy, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Harley. We have been married for 16 years and share a love of traveling the world on cruises. But no matter how far we travel, I always cherish returning home to the close-knit family and community that mean so much to us.

Molokai is more than just my home—it is my heritage.

As the youngest of Michael and Cynthia Lani’s four children, I was raised with the values of hard work, humility, and island life. Today, I am honored to carry forward my family’s legacy and follow in the footsteps of my mother (the late Cynthia Alcon Lani) and my older sister (Jocelyn Lani Collier). I am the third member of my immediate family to have worked here at Molokai Drugs!

Serving this community is deeply meaningful to me. On a small island, we know our neighbors, we know our families, and we understand where the needs are. Everyday, we do our best to care for and support the people who make this place so special. I am also a proud graduate of Molokai High and Intermediate School. It is important to support our schools, which are part of our community.

When I am not at the pharmacy, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Harley. We have been married for 16 years and share a love of traveling the world on cruises. But no matter how far we travel, I always cherish returning home to the close-knit family and community that mean so much to us.

05/29/2026

MEET OUR DRUGSTORE STAFF! We think everyone knows our buyer, Rose Allen Doo Paleka! Aunty Rosie is our longest tenured employee and started working on March 7, 1977. Born on Molokai, Aunty Rosie and her family moved to Honolulu (Kalihi) where she attended Kamehameha School for Girls (KSG). Did you know that the girls at KSG did not have to wear uniforms? After her KSG graduation, Aunty moved back and the rest is history—married Uncle Henry; had three children; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandkids and three great-grand keiki on the way!!!

Also, did you know that she worked at the old Pau Hana Inn as a waitress AFTER her shift at Molokai Drugs?

What does she like about working? “We have loyal customers, everyone knows everybody, and our customers treat us like family.” In her days off, Aunty loved making her beef stew and ono Jello cheesecake and would also go to their Halawa Valley lo’i every weekend (note: she’s waiting for son Kalani to come back to work the lo’i so she can eat her favorite food, poi).

Aunty Rosie also misses her drugstore partner-in-crime, Lo**ta Nina Tanora Greenleaf, who now lives on Kauai. She stated with sadness, “I think of my Tita Nina everyday and miss her so much.”

Now you know all about our Aunty Rosie!

05/22/2026

Congratulations Molokai Class of 2026!

05/22/2026

Congratulations to the Molokai High Class of 2026! Please be safe tonight!

05/10/2026

Sometimes, we give our drugstore employees time-off not knowing what they are doing.

We are blessed to have Aunty Dee Ann Dudoit-Doo working at Molokai Drugs from 3-6pm (after her FT job at Kaunakakai Elementary School). Someone from Kilohana Elementary School asked her if she would chaperone their students. This past week, she chaperoned Kilohana’s fifth and sixth graders on the U.S.S. Missouri and Pearl Harbor. Who uses their paid vacation to watch our keiki?!? Our Aunty Dee Ann! This is why we love our Molokai community. Our people show so much unconditional love for our students. ❤️