Summit Pharmacy, a new independently owned and operated pharmacy, is coming to Holts Summit next year, bringing back an essential service that city administrators deem vital not only for residents, but to the local economy as well.
The announcement came in a Facebook post last week by the City of Holts Summit.
“We are very excited to have a pharmacy coming back to our community, as this is a much-needed service that has been missing for several years now,” the post read.
The pharmacy will have drive-thru, delivery and curbside service and will be located at the same address as the old SSM Pharmacy — 140 Northstar Drive — after SSM closed its doors in May of 2020.
“The (new) pharmacy brings back a service that our community members desperately need,” said Brandon Ruediger, Holts Summit City Administrator.
According to Ruediger, if local residents were to get a medication prescription today, they will have to drive outside the city limits to collect them, either to Jefferson City or Fulton. This creates a couple of issues.
First, residents are pushed to spend extra time, gas and money. And second, local clinics and medical providers get less business.
“Many people I have spoken to have said they utilize providers in Jefferson City simply because they would have to go there anyways to get a prescription filled,” Ruediger said.
This snowball effect only gets worse.
Since residents are already out and about shopping for essentials, Ruediger said that this will often incentivize them to get even more items crossed off their ‘to-do’ lists.
“I’ve … heard from residents that since they must drive to Jefferson City or Fulton to get their medications, they go ahead and shop for other necessities or items while they are in those communities,” Ruediger said.
Enter Summit Pharmacy: By being able to get their prescriptions filled locally, Ruediger said he hopes this will encourage residents to utilize both local medical providers and other businesses too — and perhaps even bring business from adjacent communities as well.
“Residents of surrounding communities in southern Callaway County will also see Summit Pharmacy as a benefit for them,” Ruediger said. “They will also have shorter drive-times to a place where they can fill their prescriptions.”
The new pharmacy is scheduled to stay open until 6 p.m., Ruediger added, allowing folks coming out of work enough time to pick up their prescriptions.
Co-owner of Summit Pharmacy, Anthony DeSha, said that the arrival of the new pharmacy will be a positive thing for the community to have.
“It’s nice to be able to bring something back that I know is much needed,” DeSha said. “Just for the elderly people or people who can’t travel to Jeff City or Fulton, I think it’s a good service.”
DeSha has worked in pharmacy for 21 years and owns Flow’s Pharmacy in Columbia, which currently operates two locations.
According to DeSha, Summit Pharmacy is scheduled to open in mid-January, with the latest being early February.
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