Graham Pharmacy to be absorbed by Walgreens after 50 years in Mitchell

Pharmacist Mark Graham strolled into his business Monday and immediately spotted a familiar face.

"Hi, Mabel," he said.

That kind of first-name familiarity has been a hallmark of many Mitchell pharmacies dating back to the opening of the first one in 1880. The city's earliest "drugstores," as they were called, were all independently owned and operated by local businessmen.

Independent pharmacies began to decrease in number following the arrival of chain and franchise pharmacies in the 1960s. Monday, a notable development in the history of Mitchell's pharmacies occurred with the closing of Graham Pharmacy, which adjoined Mitchell Clinic at 818 W. Havens Ave.

"It's trying, it's tough and it's emotional, but it's for the best," Mark Graham said as he prepared to close the doors.

The business was acquired recently by Walgreens, which will absorb Graham's staff and patient records. Beginning today, Graham and his staff will work at the Walgreens location at 901 S. Burr St.

Graham Pharmacy was the last of its kind in Mitchell -- a two-generation, family-owned pharmacy that was not affiliated with any national chain or franchise. Mark Graham's father, Marlyn, started the business in 1959 and retired in the 1980s. The future use of the space that the pharmacy occupied for its entire 50-year run is undetermined, Mark Graham said.

Now that Graham Pharmacy is closed, the remaining pharmacies in Mitchell are at Walmart, Walgreens and Kmart, which are publicly traded companies; Shopko, which is owned by a private investment firm; and the Medicine Shoppe, the local location of which is owned by franchisee Jim Buechler. Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, meanwhile, has an in-house pharmacy.

Buechler considers himself the last independent pharmacist in Mitchell, and he estimates that there are only about 40 independent pharmacies remaining in South Dakota. Their numbers have declined in recent years, he said, because of late reimbursements from Medicare, inadequate reimbursements from insurance companies, rising pharmacist salaries and declining populations in many rural areas.

The National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents the owners of about 23,000 independent pharmacies, reports that the nationwide number of independent pharmacies is stable. Kevin Schweers, the association's vice president for public affairs, said the financial challenges that have forced some independent pharmacists out of business are balanced by the appeal of independence to pharmacy students and the public demand for specialized services that some independent pharmacists provide.

The definition of "independent" is open to interpretation. The association considers Shopko's pharmacies independent because the company is privately held, while the pharmacies of similar department-store chains like Walmart and Kmart are publicly held and therefore not considered independent.

Mark Graham said he hopes to take the friendly tradition of independent pharmacies to his new job at Walgreens. He said his customers will enjoy some new perks, such as being able to quickly fill their prescriptions at other Walgreens locations when they're traveling.

For Graham, the move is an opportunity to continue serving his patients without some of the headaches and uncertainty inherent in owning a health-care business.

"I can concentrate more on just good patient care," he said.