Axline Pharmacy Opens in Granville

Image courtesy of the Putnam County Record
The new year brings a pharmacy back to Granville. Axline Pharmacy officially opened its doors at 328 S. McCoy St. on Jan. 2 after months of work and preparation. And while the store is new, the faces inside will be familiar.

Toni Lawley has returned to become head pharmacist with assistance from long-time Granville Drug owner Dave Thompson.

“I started out working at Granville Drug in high school and came back about eight years ago,” Lawley said. “Last year, I needed to make a little change and started with Axline, and really enjoyed the ownership and management at Axline.”

The store manager is another former Granville resident. Rob Bean has been with the Axline Pharmacy in Bloomington for several years, and when he heard Granville was without a drugstore, he knew the moment was right for expansion.

“This brings me full circle, really. Out of high school, I worked for Dave Thompson at Granville Drug while I was at IVCC after school, and when I went to pharmacy school, he’d put me to work during the summer and sort of mentor me,” Bean said. “It’s exciting to be back.”

“When Toni (Lawley) left Granville Drug, she took a consulting job with us, and when we learned that Granville Drug was closing, our owner Troy Williams thought it’d be a great fit for us,” Bean said. “I didn’t push for it, but Troy was excited about the idea.”

“It was kinda dicey because Rob and I both have a personal stake in the community, yet we are loyal to our employer,” Lawley said. “But I think we all knew that it was going to be a good match; the community needed it, and we were hoping to open up very soon.”

The Granville location may be just opening, but Axline Pharmacy has been serving the community since shortly after Granville Drug closed.

“I’ve been filling prescriptions in our Bloomington store and bringing them up and delivering them personally,” Bean said. “That has worked out fine. It’s been a challenge, but not really a problem. We wanted to do it, and we knew there was a void. We did it as a way of showing the community that we were committed.”

“There were several people in the community that literally couldn’t get to another pharmacy or didn’t have the means to negotiate their health care, and doctors’ offices were contacting me. They were very concerned,” Lawley said. “I’ve had people saying ‘Is this pharmacy going to last?’ They bought the building, so I’m pretty sure we’re not going anywhere.”

Source: Putnam County Record