Drug Center Closes Pharmacy

By Nancy K. Crevier

“We sealed the deal this morning at 9 am,” said Drug Center owner and pharmacist Don Bates, Tuesday, August 2. As of Friday morning, the Drug Center’s prescriptions and prescription client list will belong to the new Walgreens Pharmacy, located on the corner of Route 25 and Wasserman Way.

After 53 years, 30 of which Mr Bates has worked at or owned the business, the Drug Center will cease to function as a pharmacy; but, said Mr Bates, the store at 61 Church Hill Road will remain open, building on its popular Newtown apparel and gift lines.

On Friday morning, new signs will announce the opening of Everything Newtown, under the management of Mr Bates’ wife, Diane, and their daughter, TeriAnn Brunelli.

The Drug Center was scheduled to close at 7 pm, Thursday, August 4. Customers were able to bring in their prescriptions until shortly before then, but all prescriptions had to be picked up by 7 pm that evening. Any prescriptions not claimed by customers at that time were transferred to Walgreens, and would be available for pick up there after 8 am, Friday, August 5, Mr Bates said.

Mr Bates sees the transfer of pharmacy business from the Drug Center to Walgreens as positive for the community. “There was a time when I worked over 100 hours a week. I can’t do that now, and I feel like I can’t service my customers like I should. Walgreens can offer what I used to be able to do, as well as having a drive-through window, and a wider selection of products and drugs than I can keep in stock here,” said Mr Bates.

He feels strongly that Walgreens will provide Newtown customers with the small town service to which they are accustomed at the Drug Center. “Walgreens is promoting that they want to be a ‘hometown’ store, and build a community relationship,” he said. Current employees of the Drug Center Pharmacy will be offered employment at the Walgreens Pharmacy, he said, so customers will see many familiar faces when they bring their prescriptions in to the new store. “Part of the deal was that my employees would have jobs [at Walgreens]. I would not have left anyone hanging,” said Mr Bates.

The decision to retire from the pharmacy was not one made lightly, he said, although it happened fairly quickly.

His family had been encouraging him to cut back on his hours at the store, which is not an easy undertaking when customers are in need of prescriptions and his advice, he said. That he was missing out on important family moments and time together came home to him earlier this spring when his uncle Matthew Russo died. Mr Russo was well known to Drug Center customers as the deliveryman for the past ten years.

“I was the one caring for him, and sitting in the hospital in New Haven with him this spring, I realized that I had not spent enough quality time with him. When he died, that really hit me hard,” Mr Bates said.

It was around this time that representatives of the new Walgreens stopped in to introduce themselves to Mr Bates. “It was just a friendly visit, nothing more, but it got me thinking. I thought maybe with Walgreens opening, it was an opportunity to cut back on what I was doing,” he said. His wife and daughter had slowly been adding to the gift and book department, and the closing of nearby Lexington Gardens this winter seemed to leave an gap in gift options in the center of town that they felt they could fill by expanding the offerings at the Drug Center.

In April, Mr Bates approached Walgreens, and talks began on the transfer of the Drug Center prescription service to the Newtown branch of the country’s largest drug store chain. On Tuesday morning, August 2, Mr Bates was satisfied that Walgreens would provide the quality service his customers deserved, the papers were signed, and he proudly announced the merger.

Interestingly, said Mr Bates, the Drug Center is actually coming full-circle, having started out under the umbrella of a Walgreens franchise back in 1957.

“We’re excited about this merger,” said Walgreens pharmacy supervisor Jonah Tyler, Tuesday morning, as he and Walgreens pharmacy manager Vincent Addorisio stopped by the Drug Center to congratulate Mr Bates. “A lot of Drug Center employees will be coming over to [Walgreens], and I think that will be good for the community,” he said.

Mr Addorisio, who is moving to the Newtown branch from Southbury, has been with Walgreens since 1984. “I’m looking forward to continuing our consultation and customer service with the people of Newtown,” said Mr Addorisio.

Mr Bates is hopeful that his faithful Drug Center clients will stay with Walgreens. “It’s the kind of place we feel comfortable telling people to go. We did a lot of research on the company, and we never heard a bad thing. I think I can go to bed Thursday night and not worry about any of my friends — and all of my customers are friends. I know they’ll be taken care of,” he said.

While Mr Bates is retiring as a pharmacist after Thursday, he plans to help out at Everything Newtown, and he is greatly looking forward to spending more time with his three grandchildren.

“Everything Newtown will maintain our hometown atmosphere,” Diane Bates said. “People will still be able to get their Duck Race tickets here, and we will still be supporting local fundraisers,” she said, even as the store expands its lines of Newtown- focused gifts and clothing, books by local authors, games and puzzles, and gift cards.

Everything Newtown will hold a patent medicine license, allowing the store to continue to sell vitamins, health care goods, and over the counter medications, although she stressed that these items will be sold on a very limited basis.

“We have a lot of ideas, but aren’t ready to give away any secrets yet,” laughed Ms Bates.

“I feel very good about this move,” emphasized Mr Bates. “Walgreens seems very down to earth, and with all of the familiar faces behind the pharmacy counter there, I think people can feel comfortable. I think this is good.”