CRESTVIEW — Sharon Burnhart is one of many customers who will miss the level of service they experienced at The Prescription Shoppe Pharmacy in Crestview.
The store, owned by Pharmacist Lynn Garrett and his wife Tamela, closed its doors in October.
Burnhart, a Fort Walton Beach resident, had been a dedicated customer since 2003, even after her doctor moved from Crestview to Destin.
"Before, my doctor was in Crestview so I'd go see him, and then I'd go see [Lynn Garrett] to pick up my prescription." Being in a wheelchair, Burnhart said when she would drive up to the pharmacy, Garrett and the staff would come out to her.
"I'm in the wheelchair and I liked the way they'd come out to talk to me," Burnhart said. She said Garrett would also deliver her prescription to her himself. He made sure all her medicines wouldn't run out.
"He took care of all his customers like that. This guy is extra special. I'm really going to miss him," she said.
The pharmacy opened April 30, 1984 as The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy, a national franchise.
"In 2006 we left the franchise and changed our store’s name to The Prescription Shoppe," Garrett said.
The Garretts have seen a lot of firsts at their store.
Lynn said it was the first pharmacy in Crestview to offer annual flu shots, health care screenings such as blood pressure checks and hearing screenings, as well as the first business in Crestview to have an Angel Tree at Christmas.
TPS was also the first pharmacy in town to install a Kirby Lester Robot, which automated a large percentage of the store's prescription fills.
But their greatest memory of the First Avenue store, Lynn said, "is all the wonderful customers that trusted us to provide fast, friendly and, most importantly, accurate prescription service. Seeing families grow with us has always been amazing to watch. We have current customers that their parents and grandparents used our pharmacy over the years," he said.
Lynn has been a registered pharmacist for 40 years, with 33 and a half of them at the First Avenue store. He and Tamela are looking forward to the benefits of retirement.
"My wife and I want to relax and enjoy life by traveling and seeing more of this great country," he said. "We have three daughters that grew up at our store and they have blessed us with seven wonderful grandsons, so we plan to spend more time having fun with them. We love the outdoors and plan to take advantage of what our area offers."
He also expressed gratitude for his customers and employees.
"I would like to thank all my customers that have made this day possible for us. We appreciate each and every one of you and I can honestly say I had the best customers in town. Also, I thank my great employees for their hard work and dedication, because without them I would not have been able to achieve the success we have enjoyed over the years. We will miss all of you," Lynn Garrett said.
The CVS Pharmacy chain purchased The Prescription Shoppe through a broker and serves former TPS customers at 302 Ferdon Blvd. N., Crestview.
"He took care of all his customers like that. This guy is extra special. I'm really going to miss him."
—Sharon Burnhart, of Fort Walton Beach
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'I had the best customers in town'