The pharmacy, at 100 N. Detroit St., has struck a deal with CVS and is closing the brick and mortar retail business to focus on serving long-term care facilities in the Miami Valley and across several states, according to co-owner Greg Fiely. The Xenia office will be open
“We wanted to be a family pharmacy where we tried to learn their names and treat them like friends instead of a paying customer,” Fiely said.
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The store has been in business for 15 years, but a sign posted on the door Monday tells customers their patient information and prescriptions have been transferred to CVS Pharmacy, which is located about a mile away on South Allison Avenue.
Fiely said they are restructuring their business in-part because of deep cuts to reimbursements from insurance companies.
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“We just kind of got squeezed out by the insurance companies and the big chains,” Fiely said. “Unfortunately, it was a move we had to make.”
The move came as a shock to Linda Benson, a resident who went to pick up her prescription on Wednesday, only to find the shelves empty and signs posted on the door.
“That kind of shocked me,” Benson said. “I love to come up here. It’s within walking distance so it’s convenient for me [and for] a lot of people.”
The closure of the downtown retailer is disappointing to city leaders who are working to promote their city in hopes of attracting developers, new residents and new businesses.
City Spokesman Lee Warren said the closure means there won’t be a retail pharmacy in the “immediate downtown core” of Xenia.
“While the City of Xenia is pleased that the owners of IHS Pharmacy have been able to find a niche and business model that allows them to maintain a presence in Downtown Xenia, we are disappointed that, for the moment, there will no longer be a retail pharmacy in the immediate downtown core,” Warren said.
IHS Pharmacy will continue working out of its Xenia location. The business employs about 40 people, and the change is not expected to impact their jobs.
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