After a century, Vincent’s Pharmacy closes

MILLBROOK — Vincent’s Pharmacy, which has provided prescriptions and other services to the Millbrook community for the better part of a century, will close July 30. “I have had this store on the market for the last year,” pharmacy owner Michael Giordano said. “I tried to get another person involved to see if they wanted to buy the store from me and that wasn’t successful, but no one answered the call.”But still, he said, it’s unfortunate that he had nobody to pass his business down to. “I have done this for business 33 years now and owned this place for 26, and I just thought it was time to move on,” he said. “The responsibilities of ownership are such and with insurance reimbursements as low as they are, I just thought it was time for me to pursue my profession in a non-ownership vein.”Giordano said that since announcing the closing people have told him they are happy for him but sad for the village. Giordano said he shares those feelings. “The pharmacy is of critical importance to this village; a lot of people walk to the pharmacy to get their prescriptions,” resident Mel Orhbach said. “A lot of elderly people don’t drive and don’t have the opportunity to go someplace else.”Many villagers expressed concerns at the Village Board meeting Tuesday, June 24. The pharmacy is the ninth store in the village to become vacant.“The news of the pharmacy leaving put us all into a tailspin,” said Laura Hurley, village mayor. “People are working around the clock to see if we can remedy that situation. I know a couple of places were looked at. There is a new tenant going into the Rare Finds building that is empty. I think if nothing else we are all woken up to the fact that we have to work together to see what we can do here.”Giordano sold his stock and all prescription records to the CVS Pharmacy in Pleasant Valley. Giordano didn’t disclose a selling price.“It was a very agonizing decision, and I thought about it for a long period of time,” said Giordano. “We realize it’s an inconvenience, however we felt it was an opportunity that we felt we needed to take advantage of.”Giordano said he doesn’t know what the plans are for future tenants because he doesn’t own the building. CVS Pharmacy has no plans to open a store in the village. At the Village Board meeting, resident Lorraine Alexander asked if CVS bought the pharmacy to get rid of competition. “That’s not true. It’s not my impression that’s what they are trying to do,” Giordano. “They are aggressively marketing themselves vis-a-vis Walgreen’s Pharmacy and some of the other large chains. They are in a mode to acquire stores. I couldn’t speak to whether that’s their corporate game plan — to eliminate competition — that I don’t know. They’re being very aggressive now in their expansion plans. I think that’s what fueled their overture to me.”Giordano said he appreciates his good fortunes. He is 57 years old, in good health and has been able to sell a business. Most challenges to his business operation are “ insurance related,” he said. “Insurance is driving medical care these days. Insurance is the conductor at the head of the train, and it’s driving it in a direction that I don’t personally feel is in the right direction, but that’s the way it is.”Just down Franklin Avenue, Cailin McAllister, owner of Pumpkin House boutique, said it’s sad to see such a staple in the community leave. John Carlo, an Amenia resident, is a longtime customer of the pharmacy. “I know a lot of people who go there,” Carlo he said. “I have been working in Millbrook for 38 years, probably a good 25 of those years I took advantage of the pharmacy. For the older people, they are going to have to travel to get their prescriptions and medical needs. It’s just a loss to the community as a whole.”Founder Thomas Vincent ran the pharmacy as a family business. Giordano bought the business in 1986 from Vincent’s son. Giordano is obligated contractually to work with CVS during August as a consultant to help ease the transition for the people who will ultimately go to CVS for their prescriptions. Giordano said after that he hopes to possibly obtain a job with CVS.“I would like to thank the people of Millbrook and surrounding communities for their support over the last 26 years. It has been a wonderful time,” he said. “I am most appreciative of all their support and certainly for their good wishes now as we move on.”