The Pharmacy Ball Bounces Again as Marketplace Adds New Shop

The pill bottle spins again. 

There’s another new pharmacy option available in St. Michael. Marketplace’s pharmacy, which has been vacant since the store arrived, opened last Tuesday.  

The phones are already ringing.

“After opening last Tuesday we already were receiving lots of transfers,” said [harmacist and owner James Roe last week. “I’ve opened other 'big name' pharmacies, and I would say we’re opening with about just as much business as they did.”

James and wife, Angelee, recently relocated their family of five to Albertville and started working on James’ dream to be an independent pharmacy owner.

“The only headache so far,” Angelee shared, “is insurance.”

“I’ve worked in retail pharmacy for the last eight years and have always dreamed of having my own local pharmacy,” James shared. “I was filling in for a pharmacist nearby and happened upon the space here. I knew I had to do it.”

Marketplace manager Bob Enright told Patch last spring he was working hard to find a proprietor for the pharmacy space to add another feature to the grocery store. He said at a Shop Saint Michael group meeting the store hoped to fill that "local"  void that was hit hard when franchises like CVS and Walgreens arrived. 

James got the ball rolling on April 19 and within two months the family was moved and the pharmacy was opened.

He’s not concerned about the other competition nearby either. “There are 16,000 people in St. Michael and we are – technically – only the third pharmacy here. That is far under the average per population.”

Roe is not including the Coborns pharmacy in the count, since it's located in Albertville.

He also believes he’ll add something other chains won’t.

“I want to be one-stop shopping for people in our community and help people and add the service the chains don’t provide," he said. "When someone walks in needing a wheelchair, rather than sending them out to a specialty store, I’m going to get that wheelchair here and work with them.”

Eventually the Roes have plans to add another pharmacist and technicians, but right now the two of them are running the pharmacy. While the pharmacy uses the same POS system as Marketplace, they are independent, so Marketplace staff will not be working there.

As the two unpacked some final boxes and started filling prescriptions Friday, James was clear that they are, “ready to serve!”