Mom and Pop Pharmacy
I often go to a family owned pharmacy here in Conyers to pick up medicines. I know everyone there, not on an intimate level of course, but enough to know that I like them and that they are decent and caring people. Jeff the owner is a very kind and compassionate man and his family has been in the pharmacy business for over 50 years. His father is in his 80’s, a gentle man, with one of the loveliest smiles I have ever seen. In the pharmacy they have a coffee club in the back and everyday a group of ‘old timers’ met and talk. Jeff’s father is always there; perhaps he is the central personage that holds it all together, for even in the old store over thirty years ago, they had this same coffee club everyday. I would imagine they just love each others company, have coffee and perhaps at times they may speak of serious things, or hash out some problem one of them is having. In any case it must be wonderful to have a place to go everyday to meet with those considered friends and trust. I would imagine one day, say in about 20 years, Jeff will be the one who keeps the tradition going, if the pharmacy survives his retirement.
Some days when I go in to pick up my meds, you can feel the tension. Phones ringing, people waiting for their prescriptions, insurance companies to deal with and from time to time irate customers who want instant service, ten minutes ago. It is however a family owned business and for the most part everyone is known by name, and some families I would imagine, just like my place where I work, have been going there for generations. They give attention and care in ways that some of the big pharmacy companies can’t, so they do have a loyal following.
The other morning when I went in to pick up an order called in by a doctor for one of our charges. I noticed a woman sitting down waiting for her name to be called. She was on oxygen, somewhat overweight, and I could see that she was in great discomfort. I talked with her for a bit and asked her how she was doing and is the heat making it difficult for her to breathe. She said yes, and smiled. As she got up to get her meds I saw that she had trouble walking and used two canes. She then needed to use the rest room, so Jenna the woman behind the counter offered to walk her back. She had two bags and I offered to wait until she got back, I was in no hurry that morning. So Jenna took her back and I knew that it would be a few minutes. About five minutes passed and I saw one of the employees taking a wheel chair to the back and knew it was for the lady. Not long afterward they brought her out in the wheelchair. So I offered to carry her bags to the car as she was wheeled out. When we got outside, Jenna had some trouble with the wheelchair so I grabbed it and was able to get her to her car. As she was getting out of the chair she said we were her angels and I responded: “Well they may be, but I just want to get my good deed out of the way, so I can raise hell for the rest of the day”. She found that so funny that she had to sit back down in her chair until she finished laughing. I love to make people laugh. As I was helping her out of the chair for the second time, I noticed how bad her legs looked and felt a surge of sorrow that this nice lady had to go through so much. Yet she was smiling and when she left she gave us all a cheerful wave.
At this pharmacy this is done all the time for the customers, it is like a big family. That is why I am happy we can do business with them, for the competition is great with the bigger companies. I have nothing against them, we use them to, but it will be a sad day if the mom and pop stores close down, something will die with them and they will be missed. Hopefully that will not happen.
Some days when I go in to pick up my meds, you can feel the tension. Phones ringing, people waiting for their prescriptions, insurance companies to deal with and from time to time irate customers who want instant service, ten minutes ago. It is however a family owned business and for the most part everyone is known by name, and some families I would imagine, just like my place where I work, have been going there for generations. They give attention and care in ways that some of the big pharmacy companies can’t, so they do have a loyal following.
The other morning when I went in to pick up an order called in by a doctor for one of our charges. I noticed a woman sitting down waiting for her name to be called. She was on oxygen, somewhat overweight, and I could see that she was in great discomfort. I talked with her for a bit and asked her how she was doing and is the heat making it difficult for her to breathe. She said yes, and smiled. As she got up to get her meds I saw that she had trouble walking and used two canes. She then needed to use the rest room, so Jenna the woman behind the counter offered to walk her back. She had two bags and I offered to wait until she got back, I was in no hurry that morning. So Jenna took her back and I knew that it would be a few minutes. About five minutes passed and I saw one of the employees taking a wheel chair to the back and knew it was for the lady. Not long afterward they brought her out in the wheelchair. So I offered to carry her bags to the car as she was wheeled out. When we got outside, Jenna had some trouble with the wheelchair so I grabbed it and was able to get her to her car. As she was getting out of the chair she said we were her angels and I responded: “Well they may be, but I just want to get my good deed out of the way, so I can raise hell for the rest of the day”. She found that so funny that she had to sit back down in her chair until she finished laughing. I love to make people laugh. As I was helping her out of the chair for the second time, I noticed how bad her legs looked and felt a surge of sorrow that this nice lady had to go through so much. Yet she was smiling and when she left she gave us all a cheerful wave.
At this pharmacy this is done all the time for the customers, it is like a big family. That is why I am happy we can do business with them, for the competition is great with the bigger companies. I have nothing against them, we use them to, but it will be a sad day if the mom and pop stores close down, something will die with them and they will be missed. Hopefully that will not happen.
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