DAVID MCGEE always had a doctor’s kit in his toybox; medicine intrigued him. He applied to med school for a career in dentistry and pharmacy school as a backup. Pharmacy school answered first. Today he fills prescriptions instead of teeth, on the spot he picked out while still at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
“I had always thought I’d come back and open a store here on the spot that interested me because of its location next to the doctors’ clinic,” McGee said.
After working a few years in Fayetteville and Murfreesboro, McGee returned to Shelbyville to build his future on the very spot he’d previously identified. His late father, Eldon McGee, a local contractor, constructed the building, and McGee’s Prescription Shop opened in 1977 at the location it still occupies today at 842 Union Street.
Prescription services have seen many changes since then.
From maintaining patient profiles by hand to administering vaccinations, and from filling every script by hand to being assisted by a computerized robot, McGee has seen many changes and evolved with the times.
But one thing has stayed the same.
McGee explained, “We’ve always been a compounding pharmacy. Compounding is an art that began in independent drugstores many years ago, and we still do it today. We can work with doctors to make unique formulas for specific needs, especially those not available as patent medicines off the shelf.”
In addition to prescriptions, the gift shop has always been part of their services.
“When we first opened, we felt like there was a need for gifts because the only places you could get those in Shelbyville were mostly at jewelry stores and dress shops. I’ve attended the Atlanta gift market at least twice a year for the last 45 years,” he said.
The gift shop’s inventory has changed through the years with the trends, but, as with the pharmacy, there’s one constant item in the gift shop.
“Cookbooks are just as popular now as they were the day I opened, and they still make great gifts,” he said.
The McGee family has always worked together in the shop. His wife, Shirley, handled the books and payroll, but the growth quickly prompted a need for other assistance. Their oldest daughter, Kimberly Miller, has been the store manager for the last 36 years, working there since high school and college. Their younger daughter, Gwendolyn Stafford, and their son, David McGee, II, have worked in or near the shop at times as well.
McGee said, “We have certified technicians; pharmacists, Stacey Jones and Loyd Morgan; and high school students and college kids that work here. I’ve always been proud of the high school and college kids. Several became pharmacists, and some even returned to work for me for a while. I’ve been extremely blessed and thankful for the dedication of all my employees; they’ve all been family to me.”
McGee has no regrets.
“I’ve always enjoyed being here, meeting and talking to different people. When patients leave here, we hope they’re on the road to better health and that their medication will help them overcome whatever ailment they have. Their health is our main concern.”
He continued, “This store has been a blessing from God, and I’m very thankful to Him for everything that’s happened here. We have been totally blessed.” GN
