Valley Pharmacy not for sale

Rod Waeckerlin said selling Valley Pharmacy was not even considered when he sold the pharmacy portion of Bi-Rite Pharmacy, in Rawlins to City Market.

The deal is scheduled to close on Aug. 21 and Robyn Miller and Sarah Laughlin were getting phones calls to see if it affected the only pharmacy in the Platte Valley.

Waeckerlin said selling the pharmacy in Rawlins was an emotional decision for him. He has owned the Rawlins-based pharmacy for 27 years and it has been in Rawlins for nearly 40 years.

“With Wal-mart coming in,” Waeckerlin said, “I had to make a business decision.”

City Market and Waeckerlin’s Bi-Rite Pharmacy now handle about 40 percent of the prescriptions with City Market filling another 40 percent. Shopko in Rawlins fills 20 percent of the prescriptions.

Waeckerlin said he knew he would not get a better offer than he did from City Market and at 61 years of age, it was time for his to look to the future.

Waeckerlin said he talked with Miller, the pharmacist at Valley Pharmacy, and discussed the options for expanding the hours. While Miller and Waeckerlin are still working on what to do for expanded hours, Waeckerlin will be spending more time in Saratoga. “This will allow Robyn to have more time off for her boys,” Waeckerlin said.

“It’s a win/win situation when you take the emotions out,” he said.

Waecerklin said as he and Miller move forward with this transition, they will keep the interest of the Valley at heart.

 

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