Milner Rushing owners speak about what forced them to sell their retail pharmacy to Walgreens

FLORENCE, Ala. (WAFF) - The Lawson family who has owned Milner Rushing since 1977 recently sold the retail pharmacy part of their business.

Several local attorneys, who did not go into specifics, said there is nothing wrong with the transaction. The Lawson family said that selling and packaging prescription drugs is a very expensive business and they had to sell. Also stating it was one of the most heart-wrenching decisions they have had to make but one of the most necessary.

“It’s just I mean, I don’t understand,” Deborah Hall said she was a longtime customer of Milner Rushing.

That is, until Milner Rushing sold its pharmacy retail business to Walgreens last month. She said she had no idea, and was shocked to learn her prescriptions had been sent to Walgreens without her knowledge. She said she is disappointed that after so long Milner Rushing didn’t reach out directly to their customers.

“They were our family,” Hall explained that herself and her husband have been going to Milner Rushing for a very long time. “He and I have been customers for 30 years. And his parents have been customers 30 years before that.”

The Lawson family who has owned Milner Rushing since 1977 said in order to stay open, they had to sell the retail pharmacy part of their business. They said it was just too expensive to maintain. The Lawson’s added they tried to give customers a heads-up by posting on Facebook.

Hall said she only found out because she sent her husband down to the pharmacy to check on a prescription that needed filled, only to find out it had been sent to a new company.

“So he stops by there and they informed him that they sold out to Walgreens,” Hall said.

While Hall was upset her prescription had been moved, the Lawsons said it is perfectly legal for them to send it to Walgreens as part of the takeover.

Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!

Copyright 2023 WAFF. All rights reserved.