New Montague pharmacy opening delayed; name change forced by Walgreens

A Montague pharmacy that planned to use the Todd family name has run into some problems that delayed its opening.

Todd’s Family Pharmacy was originally slated to open in mid-January, owner Mike Cook said, but construction and state approval took longer than anticipated, and a legal notice from Walgreens will force a name change.

The store will open as Mike’s Family Pharmacy in March, Cook said. He gave an update at the Montague Downtown Development Authority meeting Thursday while asking for a $15,000 loan to help cover the increased costs and lost revenue from the delay.

The DDA voted unanimously to approve the loan after a few questions. Cook is a member of the DDA and had received a previous $15,000 loan, but abstained from voting on his loan request.

Todd’s Pharmacy had been an institution in Montague since the 1950s. It began as a family business, but was later sold to Oceana County-based Home Town Pharmacy. Cook, who had managed the store and pharmacy for a time, decided to open a new pharmacy in the Montague Foods grocery store, 8718 Water, under a similar name after the original closed in 2011.

The name led to a cease and desist order from Walgreens. All of Todd’s Pharmacy’s prescription files were transferred to Walgreens after the small pharmacy closed, Home Town Pharmacy Chief Operating Officer Jim Mathews told the Chronicle in June 2011. Cook said the name was never Home Town’s to sell, but his attorney advised him not to take the issue to court.

The new pharmacy still will include memorabilia from the original Todd’s store, Cook said.

The Walgreens order wasn’t a big factor in the delay, Cook said. The bigger problems were that remodeling part of Montague Foods for a pharmacy took longer than expected, and the state Liquor Control Commission didn’t initially approve the tenant agreement between the grocery store and the pharmacy, he said.

The Liquor Control Commission wanted the agreement to spell out that the pharmacy can’t ring up drinking alcohol, Cook said. Those issues have been resolved and the pharmacy should have all the necessary licenses to open by March, he said.

Email: mhart2@mlive.com

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New Montague pharmacy opening delayed; name change forced by Walgreens