Mineral Pharmacy in Superior under new ownership

People who drive by the Mineral Pharmacy in Superior may have noticed the marquee that reads “Welcome Brian and Kami.”

The sign welcomes the new owner and pharmacy technician. After over 43 years, the previous owner Curtis Schwaderer, has hung up his pharmacy lab coat and put his pill bottles away.

“It’s time,” he said about his last day on Nov. 7. Physically, the job is demanding because of the strain it puts on the body, “not a lot of people have to stand eight hours a day for their job. Eventually your back, neck and feet pay the price for it. The pain was getting to be unbearable toward the end.”

Curtis has also been through two back surgeries, one in 2011 and 2014 plus he suffers from arthritis. Last week he stood with Herb Stelling waiting to get their photo taken with the pharmacy’s new owner. Curtis had bought the business from Stelling 27 years ago. Prior to that, Stelling had taken over the business in 1960 from Emil Riefflin, who started the pharmacy in 1932.

The two stood with Brian Gadd, and the current Mineral Pharmacy staff for a photo opportunity. Stelling, 88, still lives in Superior after his own retirement from the business. A lot of customers are sad to see Curtis, and the entire Schwaderer family, sell the business.

“They’ve always been very involved with the community,” said resident, Jim DeBree who has a history with the family which goes back many years. Especially while serving on the hospital and clinic board in town.

Marlys opened the business with her husband and through that time they raised two sons, Nick and Michael, who also helped out in the family business. Son Michael was also a pharmacy technician before the business was sold.

The new owner is Brian Gadd who moved to Superior from Salt Lake City, Utah. Though the pharmacy is independently owned, it is part of a bigger limited liability company. It is the fifth pharmacy the group has purchased.

“We get all of our buying power together but we are still independently owned and operated with the support of the other pharmacies,” he said. “First and foremost we value the hometown feel of the pharmacy. We like the relationship that we have with our patients and we are not a big corporation. Our focus is to give a specific service to everybody we meet and to insure that I have time to talk to people and my technicians do as well.”

The technicians are Kami Belcher and the tech in training is Terrie Wasley. Belcher was born and raised in Superior and became a tech ten years ago. She had worked at a family owned pharmacy in Missoula. Now she’s is happy to be working in Superior and not have to commute to Missoula anymore.

“My whole family lives here,” Belcher said. Which gives her plenty of support to help her with her two small children ages 2 and 10. Her father even works next door as the manager of Energy Partners. A place she worked last year while in between pharmacy jobs. She said she pretty much knows everyone who comes into the pharmacy.

Wasley has also been in Superior for nearly 40 years. She used to work at the Mineral Community Hospital and has been training to become a pharmacy tech and has worked at the pharmacy for two years. She worked with Michael Schwaderer, who left when the new owners took over.

With patients primarily in Superior and St. Regis, Gadd said they are expanding in some areas. Including offering medical aids such as walkers and canes. They are also offering a program called Sync where patients can come in and choose one day of the month when they can pick up all of their prescriptions. The pharmacy staff will do all of the leg work like calling the doctors and get everything ready for when the prescriptions get picked up. They also plan on starting a delivery service and deliver prescriptions to people’s homes.

Belcher and Gadd will also be offering a full service compounding facility and offer “bubble packing”. This entails prepackaging medications and so all a patient has to do is pop open the package and all the medications are ready for morning, noon and evening doses.

All the same insurance companies will be accepted and Gadd will also be helping out at the hospital for in-patient pharmacy needs. Bonnie Buchanan and her son both work as clerks for the store. They feel positive about the change in ownership.

“Some people are not in favor of the change but they are accepting of it and have a good outlook,” she said.

Marlys said they received many cards and people came in to say tearful goodbye’s to Curtis and Michael as the sale became imminent. Curtis plans on working in his machine shop where he has an extensive collection of equipment and enjoys making parts. A trade he enthusiastically shares with anyone who wants to learn.

“It feels like Saturday every day,” said Curtis of his new found retirement. “There’s no getting up early and getting ready for work.”

During his tenure he only took time off for a vacation here and there and was gone during his back surgeries. Now, in addition to his hobby, the couple hopes to do some traveling. Including a trip to Ireland next Christmas where their son, Nick will be getting married. He currently lives in England where he works doing computer coding.

The pharmacy will have the same hours which is 9 to 6 weekdays with lunch from 2 to 3 p.m. The store is open on Saturday’s but the pharmacy is closed and the store is closed on Sundays.