Leslie’s Pharmacy, a fixture on Main street Vineyard Haven going back more than seven decades, will close at the end of this month.
The family-run pharmacy and corner store announced Saturday that it has stopped placing any new orders in anticipation of closing on Sept. 28. Customers can continue to fill their prescriptions for the next two weeks, and the store will help move existing refills to another pharmacy.
Warren and Donna Holmberg bought the pharmacy in 2003, but in a Facebook post over the weekend, the pharmacy said running on thin margins that made it impossible to continue operating.
“It’s a very difficult world to navigate as an independent pharmacy,” the post said. “It’s not a lucrative business as many expect, except for the insurance companies and the drug companies.”
Independent pharmacies suffer the most due to the financial instability of the country’s health care system, the store concluded.
“We tried our best to continue on, but the time has come for us to say goodbye,” pharmacy owners wrote. “We can’t thank our customers and Island community enough for all the support over the years since we bought the business in 2003. Our family has truly enjoyed serving our community.”
In an interview with the Gazette Monday, general manager David Holmberg said insurance companies have repeatedly undercut payments to the pharmacy and Leslie’s doesn’t have the buying power of a big box pharmacy.
“I’ve never had [insurance companies] paying properly,” Mr. Holmberg said. “We can’t ask the patient to cover that loss.”
He said relaying the news to customers has been hard.
“I’ve worked here for 22 years, even before my family bought it,” he said. “I’ve never even used another pharmacy in my life.”
Dozens of saddened customers paid tribute to the business online over the weekend, praising the drug store’s professionalism and caring service.
Kirk Metell, the Tisbury public works director, said his family has been going to the pharmacy for years and said they went above and beyond for the community.
When Mr. Metell’s father had cancer, the Holmbergs let him come into the store after hours to get medication.
“They’ve done a tremendous job over the years,” he told the Gazette. “They became family . . . They’ll be really missed in Vineyard Haven.”
Frank Leslie first opened the storefront in the mid-20th century, and it quickly became a key community gathering space. Islanders picked up their prescriptions, chatted with neighbors and maybe grabbed a drink at the soda fountain.
In 1969, Mr. Leslie’s grandson Leslie Leland took over, and it remained in the family until the Holmbergs, who had worked at the store, bought the pharmacy. Les Leland still owns the building.
In 2020, the pharmacy announced it would close by the end of the year, but after an outpouring of support, the business continued to run for the next four years. A repeat of that is not in the cards this time around, though, Mr. Holmberg said.
“It’s not coming back from that,” he said.
With Leslie’s closing, three pharmacies will be left on the Island: Vineyard Scripts in Vineyard Haven, Conroy’s Apothecary in West Tisbury and Stop and Shop in Edgartown.
Mr. Holmberg said he had notified the other pharmacies about the closing.
“It’s going to be tough, but customers I’ve talked to have kind of evenly gone to the three stores,” he said.
The Stop and Shop pharmacy could also be on the move, after the Edgartown building’ owner listed the property for sale earlier this year.
The grocery store giant in May told the Gazette it was aware the landlord was trying to sell the property and Stop and Shop was making contingency plans.
“We intend to continue operating a pharmacy in Edgartown, and we will explore alternative real estate options, if needed, to continue to serve the community in this capacity,” the company said.
What’s next for the Holmberg family is unclear. Mr. Holmberg said the family plans to stay on the Vineyard.
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