Today is the last day customers of Foodland Superdrug can pick up prescriptions at the Willoughby location. Super Drug Pharmacist William Whitehead took the final prescription requests Wednesday and today fills the final pharmaceutical requests.
Whitehead has transferred his prescriptions to the Wal-Mart Pharmacy on Glacier Highway. Super Drug customers can now fill prescriptions there.
On Saturday at 6 p.m. Foodland Super Drug, Inc. will close. Two weeks later the store Just Super! opens.
Deborah Pusich, co-owner of Willoughby’s drug and gift store said her gift store opens July 14 with a new look and new merchandise.
Pusich said she shopped around for new items.
“We ordered everything that we’ve been missing,” Pusich said. “We’ll just roll out all new stuff for a while.”
Pusich and co-owner William Whitehead have a shared family and business history.
Foodland Super Drug, Inc. began in 1984. Ownership transferred from the trio of William Whitehead and Nellie Pusich and Larry Pusich to a 50/50 split between Deborah Pusich and Whitehead. This ends three decades of a combined family business.
The pharmacy’s split from the gift store was “very amicable,” Pusich said. “Everybody is really excited because the gift store is staying in place. Whitehead had a great opportunity, Pusich said “and I get to keep doing what I was doing, so that is great,” Pusich said.
Whitehead was not available for comment.
Pusich said she was concerned about the future of Alaskan and Proud grocery. The grocery is expected to close in September (goo.gl/oWfc3). A new grocer, a new potential draw for customers to Willoughby, has yet to be announced.
Pusich she said she knows she’ll stay open at least through the holidays.
Alaskan and Proud and Super Drug lease space in the Foodland Center, owned by Gary Rosenberger and his family. Williams Inc, based out of Ketchikan, owns Alaskan and Proud.
Pusich has advice for those who want to keep shops in their area.
“Shop local if you want a store,” Pusich said. “We don’t get rich anymore,” she said of shop owners, “but we don’t want to pay our own rent.”
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (12)
Add commentJust Super! opens on Bastille
Just Super! opens on Bastille Day. Vive la France! Chic alors!
Best of luck
To Will and to the gang at Super Drug! You are all wonderful people and I wish the best to all of you and the future!
Foodland Super Drug
good luck with the new store Debbie. Hate to lose the downtown pharmacy. Let's hope we get a good new grocery store in your center.
Sounds like...
...a very temporary situation. Will be curious to see what happens to the entire property there. I see a complete tear-down of the grocery, and the ratty apartments and strip mall bordering the parking lot.
I remember when the old
I remember when the old Foodland burned down. We were all worried about what comic books got burned. My friend's dad was a fireman and he told us that only two had been burned. We were so relieved.
JEFume
When was that?
If they can't get a corporate grocer in the space by September
we should set up a food co-op in the space. It would really help bring downtown together and restore some of the sense of community we've lost...and probably get us healthier food produced with better values in the bargain.
Also, for those looking for a downtown pharma alternative
May I humbly suggest the locally-owned Juneau Drug, which is within walking distance of every part of downtown and which has an excellent reputation for meeting customer needs?
(And which, unlike the management at Foodland Super Drug, actually does the decent thing and accepts Medicaid prescriptions)
Super Drug..... is awesome.... but.....
WalMart just sucks for everything, and will never go there for anything..... going to Juneau Drug now for all prescriptions....
Sorry, but my own opinion....
Weird that my post suggesting that people choose
a locally-owned pharmacy that's sensitive to community needs OVER Sam Walton's One-Stop Beijing Sweatshop got three "thumbs downs".
Why would ANYONE prefer a soulless out-of-state corporation that relies on, essentially, slave labor, to a small business that's been part of this town for decades?
Kenb41- just maybe it has
Kenb41- just maybe it has something to do with your "jerk" comments about the folks at the Super Drug. William and his folks were very good from my perspective! It was a nice place to do business and it will be missed.
They were wrong not to accept Medicaid prescriptions
Nice businesses don't refuse to do what's necessary for elderly or disabled people to get the medications they need.
They should have just done the right thing.
I have changed the "j word" to "management". Happy now?
Nothing intended against those employees not involved in managing the pharmacy or making its policies.