Pitt Street Pharmacy celebrates 80 year anniversary with old-time carnival
June 19, 2017
Pitt Street Pharmacy invites the community to help them celebrate their 80 year anniversary on Sunday, June 25th from 2pm – 6pm in the Old Village of Mt. Pleasant. To mark this historic occasion, Pitt Street will be transformed into an old-time carnival complete with games, balloon animals, face painting and a kissing booth. The celebration will also feature a jump castle, a photo booth providing pictures with the pharmacy’s distinctive Rexall logo, snow cones by Pelican Snocones and live music provided by Stephen Darby with Darby Events. Roti Rolls and Dashi food trucks will be on hand along with fresh watermelon served from the back of an old Ford F150 pickup. Attendees will also have a chance to “dunk the pharmacist” when owner Kim Richardson suits up for the dunking booth! As a “thank you” to our friends, patients and customers, the pharmacy will be dispensing one scoop of delicious, Wholly Cow ice cream to each person FOR FREE!
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In a day and age when most “old timers” don’t recognize Mount Pleasant, Pitt Street Pharmacy is still doing the same thing they did 80 years ago: compounding custom prescriptions and providing personalized support and service to patients and their doctors. “Some things change with time, but Pitt Street Pharmacy has proven itself impervious to the changes of time,” says owner Kim Richardson. “Our customers and patients still receive the same friendly, trustworthy service. We still deliver prescriptions and our full-service soda fountain is still the most popular place in town.”
Washington “Wattie” Zeigler, RPh opened the Pharmacy in 1937 when Pitt Street was Mount Pleasant’s main shopping district. After his death in 1982, his second wife, Della along with pharmacists Gene Whitley and Lavern James continued to run the store. “Mrs. Della” continued to work until the age of 79 when she retired with almost 60 years of service at Pitt Street Pharmacy. Pharmacist Kim Richardson was blessed to have the opportunity of purchasing the pharmacy in 1996, when pharmacists Gene and Lavern wanted to retire. Burdened by low reimbursements by insurance companies, Richardson realized he had to create a niche, that the chain pharmacies couldn’t provide, and went back to the age old technique of “compounding” medications, using the pharmacist’s basic tools, a mortar and pestle. That idea has proven invaluable, and has greatly enhanced the pharmacy’s ability to compete and survive in the pharmaceutical industry.
Throughout the years, scores of Mount Pleasant children and teenagers have carved their names or initials in the old black soda fountain counter, taking with them wonderful memories in return. Romances have blossomed at the pharmacy, too! Just ask “Bosie” and Fletcher Carter, who began having lunch together at the soda fountain counter 57 years ago, and are about to celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary! Pitt Street Pharmacy is the kind of place where time seems to move at a slower pace, and people make time to enjoy and reminisce about the good old days. The “good old days” are alive and well at Pitt Street Pharmacy!
