Longtime Local Pharmacy Fills Final 'Script

Mackey's Pharmacy, on West Chester Pike in Newtown Square, has filled its last prescriptions. 

After more than 60 years of service, the local pharmacy closed its doors on Wednesday. 

Several customers stopped in for the final 50 percent off retirement sale at the pharmacy in its final days and said their goodbyes to Pharmacist and Owner John Lorenzo. 

Jim Mackey opened the pharmacy in either 1950 or '51 until Lorenzo and his former partner John Zweier, who retired in 2007, took it over in 1981 and kept the name. 

Lorenzo said a lot of things have changed over the years — health insurance, government requirements and lower reimbursements — and he was ready to retire. 

"I'm old enough," he said. 

It's rare that a customer pays privately for a medication anymore, Lorenzo said, everything is paid for through insurance and they dictate what they will pay the pharmacy.  

"It's just a lot of different things that have changed drastically over the years," he said. "It's tough for the small, independent pharmacy."

But chain pharmacies like CVS and Rite Aid, Lorenzo said, were not putting him out of business. It's the mail order prescriptions that are a local pharmacy's biggest competition.

Some health insurance companies require clients to use mail order, Lorenzo said, rather than go to a pharmacy. 

"People are being forced to go mail order," Lorenzo said. "How can you compete with that? Chains aren't the competition, we can compete with the chains. The problem is beyond your control."

Lorenzo, of Springfield, still owns the building that housed Mackey's and said there are no plans yet as to what will fill the space. Right now the focus is retirement and family.

The father of four and grandfather of seven plans to spend more time with his wife, Christina, his grandkids, travel and play more golf during retirement. 

However, Mackey's regular customers will be sadly missed, he said.

"I really want to thank them for the many years of loyal patronage," Lorenzo said. "It's been great. They've been good to me and I'm going to miss them all."

All Mackey's prescriptions and inventory will now be transferred to Rite Aid Pharmacy, across the street, at 3568 West Chester Pike.