After 51 years, Petersen Drug in Chadron will close its doors.
Owner Drew Petersen announced today that the pharmacy side of his location at the corner of Main and Third streets will close effective immediately. The Home Health store and Just Love Coffee will remain open.
For more than a year, Petersen has been working to hire another pharmacist and has been unsuccessful.
“We’re having problems finding skilled people to move to town,” he said.
He was hoping to sell the pharmacy, and in fact, had a buyer lined up, but the sale fell through earlier this week, leaving him with few options.
“We did everything we could to take care of our customers,” Petersen said.
The status of the store’s Crawford location is unclear at this time.
“We’re doing our best to keep it open under a different pharmacy,” he said. There are several regulatory matters to address first before the state will approve such a move, Petersen explained.
Customers will need to contact their physicians and make arrangements to transfer their prescriptions to another pharmacy before their next refill. Wal-Mart and Safeway are the remaining options in Chadron, and Stockman’s in Gordon will deliver nightly to Chadron and Crawford.
so sad.
First Meyers Drug and now Peterson. Both Dick and Gary ran their local Pharmacies before Safeway and Walmart stepped in. Both had a warmth and kindness one will never see at a big box Pharmacy. Sorry to see Peterson fold.
I always deal with the hometown people when possible. Petersen Drug had friendly staff and great service. Dave, you’ll be worth the trip to Hemingford!
The pharmacy in Gordon is very accommodating and friendly. It is an independent store. And now they deliver to Chadron and Crawford.
This is the trend now in the independent pharmacy space. Lack of human capital, coupled with hostile, predatory and anti-competitive practices of PBM’s (insurance companies) are killing off these businesses.
David, did you read the article? The issue is getting a pharmacist who wants to move to Chadron, not insurance companies.
Big box stores are running the ma and pa stores out of business. Isaw it coming a long time ago.
Harriet, did you read the article? The issue is getting a pharmacist who wants to move to Chadron, not insurance companies.
Everyone in Chadron should be nicer to newcomers. Then maybe folks would come and stay.
Agreed. But it’s housing problems and lacking of quality-of-life that turn people away. And every time the City looks to make quality-of-life improvements (like trails, swimming pools, etc.) all people do is complain about taxes.
Exactly correct. Those professionals that consider Chadron end up going to communities with better housing and quality of life. Those communities will even have way more competitors in their line of work than Chadron does.
Who is being mean to newcomers? This seems like a terrible plan.
So sad to see the Peterson Drug legacy ending. I worked with Gary, Greg and Drew over the past 18 years and they were always professional and a pleasure to do business with.
I trust Drew will be able to find a pharmacist who is looking for the small town lifestyle to continue the legacy
The town’s either growing or it’s dying, there ain’t no third direction.
The big problem is Chadron’s housing market is way overpriced. Who in thier right mind is going to buy a house that is 100+ years old for the price of a brand new one else where that doesn’t need rewiring, replumbed, remodeled, and the foundation repaired. This is what keeps skilled professionals from coming here. We have a fancy new hospital with no local specialists, we have horrible street maintenance, we tax, tax tax our community with absolutely no results to show for it, we have the worst airline company in our airport, etc.
I nominate Steve for city council…. Maybe it isn’t as simple as stating problems. Most problems don’t fix themselves and require an attainable solution.