Tammy Curtis, Publisher

There are few things less personal that one’s medical history and the medications prescribed to treat illnesses. A relationship with your pharmacist involves a great degree of trust and respect. For 60 years, pharmacists with Cave City Pharmacy have been filling the needs of area residents. On June 29, the small town pharmacy

The pharmacy was first located where Dr. Fore’s office is currently located with Dr. Rainey next door. John Dohtery  was the first pharmacist and then Stan Taylor took over in 1991 before moving to the current location in 1995. 

Taylor retired in 2014 and lifelong Cave City resident Jenny Davis bought the pharmacy. Davis went to ASU for her pre-pharmacy degree after graduating from Cave City in 1993. She then transferred to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where she obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree.  

After obtaining her degree she worked at Walmart and the Medicine Shoppe for six years after having her children before purchasing the pharmacy. 

There have been many changes over the last 60 years. During Taylor’s years of service, prescriptions were still typed on a typewriter, long before automated computer generation of labels. When Davis first began, insurance companies were hand billed before being able to submit them electronically. 

Another big leap for pharmacists was when Medicare Part D went into effect shortly after Davis graduated. “That was huge, huge change. You had all these people who had never had an opportunity to have insurance.” She said there was a lot of learning and figuring out new things. 

Jenny’s class of 2000 was the first class who were certified to administer immunizations. She was the first pharmacist in Batesville to start immunizing when she worked at the Medicine Shoppe. The Cave City Pharmacy now has someone on staff to do immunizations. They have done Covid clinics and an Annual Drive Through Flu Clinic and Drive Through Covid Booster Clinic. “The drive through clinics are so much fun,” she said. 

Another thing that has helped with immunizations is that the technicians can be certified to administer immunizations. The Cave City Pharmacy has evolved from a simple pharmacy to also include a gift shop. “I wanted a place where people could come and grab a gift. It was something I did to give the community something.” Gifts for weddings, babies and birthdays highlight the front. 

They have also worked hard to accept more types of insurances, which allows Cave City residents to be able to shop locally without having to drive to larger cities to get their medications filled, often while being ill. In the last two years she has hired Clayton House full time as a second pharmacist. They have just begun doing compounding and are slowly picking up customers. They also added a drive through before they got Covid vaccines. “It has been a huge help. It is so handy not having to get your kids out while they are sick instead of coming in and exposing everyone,” she said. 

Jenny employs a staff of four full time, two almost full time, part timers and four high school and college students with who they work around their schedules. As a community outreach, each year she hires a junior or senior from Cave City High School to help out in the afternoons. One the girls who works at the pharmacy is starting pharmacy school, as is, Jenny’s daughter. 

“This is not about me, it’s the history. Cave City Pharmacy is the second oldest business in Cave City, with the Bank of Cave City being the oldest,” she said. The roots the pharmacy has in the community and the evolution of the business is easy to see.  “I do my absolute best to give back to the community in any way I can,” she explained. “I would never have wanted to have owned a pharmacy anywhere else but here. This town made me, shaped me, and made me who I am. I want to be that for other people,” Davis explained. 

“My staff is the absolute best in the entire world. We are family, we live together, we work together. We are family. Lisa (Stan’s wife) stayed with me, that has been one of the biggest blessings ever. I couldn’t do it without them,” she said. 

“I love helping people and being available when they need help. I also love that my small town knows me and trusts me. They come to me for advice and help with anything, from which over the counter medication they need to whether they need stitches for a cut they just incurred to whether they need to take their child to the doctor for specific cold symptoms,” she explained in a recent Good Neighbor Pharmacy Spotlight, when asked what she loves about being a pharmacist. 

To celebrate the 60th Anniversary, Cave City Pharmacy will have a customer appreciation day on June 29 from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., there will be free hamburgers and hot dogs and giveaways. They are also giving away a gift basket. This will include two back stage passes to meet Wade Hayes or Mark Wills during the Cave City Watermelon Festival; 4 Watermelon Festival t-shirts, 2 of each color; 2 Cave City Pharmacy tee shirts, hats and coffee mugs; dinner at Millie’s Restaurant; a gas card from Casey’s General Store; and a gift certificate for a Genuine Cave City Watermelon from the grower of your choice.  

The public is invited to come out and help Cave City Pharmacy celebrate 60 years of service to the community on June 29.