NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — When customers walked into Berry Pharmacy to pick up their prescriptions Wednesday, they found more than pill bottles in their bags. There were extra doses of bittersweet inside too.
After nearly 75 years serving the small community of New Richmond, the neighborhood drug store closed its doors for business.
"It's a sad thing, but they've been great people," said James Carmack, who stopped in to give the pharmacists final hugs goodbye.
Carmack moved to the village 33 years ago. He'd been a customer at Berry for just as long, stopping in regularly for his medication and good conversation.
"I hate to see them leave," he said. "You'll never get nobody else in here as good as they've been and they're honest and they'll do anything to help you."
The pharmacy's been a staple in New Richmond since 1952 when original owner Bob Berry opened shop in a downtown storefront. The pharmacy eventually moved next to the Rivertown IGA off Old US Highway 52. When Berry retired, his employee Bill Nelson took ownership.
Following Nelson's death, a few of his employees took over, running it until its last day on Wednesday.
Some of the pharmacists have worked at the store for decades. Kathy's been a familiar face for 47 years. Lori's been one for 38.
"I walked in and said, 'I'm going to cry, we're going to miss you guys so much,'" Danielle Seymore said. "Yeah, it's emotional. This has been a big impact in this community."
The pharmacists didn't wish to elaborate much on the reason for closing, but they did say it came down to low insurance reimbursements.
They explained that all pharmacies, independent or chain, struggle to stay afloat nowadays because they make less on prescriptions than what they pay for medication. Typically a pharmacy is in a good financial state if its profit margins are at least 22%.
Berry was averaging 10%, they said.
Now, the customer's records have been transferred over to the Kroger in Amelia.
Berry's pharmacists said they're grateful to the company for buying them out because no other nearby pharmacy would. Still, it means customers must now leave New Richmond for their prescriptions. Kroger is about a 17-minute drive away.
"Oh it's going to be terrible for people, especially the older people," Carmack said. "Yeah, it's going to be bad for them."
Though Kroger is the nearest option, it's not the only one. Customers can call any pharmacy of their choosing and ask to have their prescriptions filled there.
"I'm still undecided," Seymore said. "Once (Kroger) gets my prescription, I'm going to call and have it be transferred somewhere else. I'm going to try and find something that's going to be on my route coming to and from, but it'll still be 15, 20 minutes out of my way."
Berry's pharmacists said they owe all their years to the community, and that they couldn't ask for better customers. While they said the road ahead will be rough — they're each now out of a job — they're leaning on their community's smiles and hugs to get them through.
"I guess life goes on. We have to do what we've got to do," said Carmack. "And I'll miss them. And they'll miss us too."
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