Julie Priestley serves customers with a smile at Dowd Drug.
Julie Priestley says she’s proud to continue providing the type of services and products that meet the needs of the local community.
By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Dowd Drug was a longtime landmark in Guthrie Center more than 40 years ago. Yet, despite changes in ownership, the business name and the reputation for customer service have remained.
Decades ago, Jim Vandevanter of Guthrie Center started working at Dowd Drug. Eventually, in the early 1980s, Jim and Janice Vandevanter bought the business. Knowing that the name Dowd Drug was respected in the community, he kept that name.
The business name wasn’t the only thing that remained. The Vandevanter family found that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So, they kept running the business as a small independent pharmacy, and that’s still true today, although another ownership change has occurred.
Jim and Janice’s daughter, Julie Priestley, now owns the store and serves as pharmacist. Priestley’s sister, Jane Clausen, is also a pharmacist, and she runs Adel HealthMart Pharmacy. Both daughters bought the respective businesses in 2018, when their parents chose to retire.
Priestley says she’s proud to continue providing the type of services and products that meet the needs of the local community. She strives to offer more than just pharmacy services.
“We have a full line of over-the-counter products, and we do flu shots, shingles shots, that sort of thing, too,” Priestley said. “That’s an important part of our business right now, as we head into that season.”
Priestley and her staff of eight work to continue the small-town, independent pharmacy services that the Dowd name is known for in Guthrie County. And, despite industry changes and legislative restrictions, Priestley said there is no intention to change from that business plan.
When asked about services that some customers may not be aware of, Priestley mentioned three: medication packaging, immunizations, and medication synchronization. Medication packaging means the pharmacy can put medications in various packaging, such as “bubble packs,” which make it easier for the customer to take medications as directed.
Priestly explained medication synchronization, which is also known as “med sync.”
“We have a lot of people who use our medication synchronization service, where you can get all of your medications filled once a month, or however often need be, so that they’re only making one trip to the pharmacy. We’re making a big push to get more people signed up for that,” Priestley said. “It helps us out, to make sure people have refills when they need them, and to make sure we have inventory when we need it. And it helps the customer out by just making that one trip to pick up their prescriptions.”
Besides medications and medical items, the store offers a variety of items in the front. Priestley listed off many of the types of items in stock.
“We have a gift section and a toy section up front. Jewelry, décor, purses, food items,” she said. “Things we offer that are good for our community to have so that people don’t have to drive to Des Moines every time. And, of course, we have Hallmark cards here as well.”
Priestley recalls that, in her childhood, she grew up immersed in the pharmacy lifestyle, so it just seemed natural that would be her career.
“There was a career day in third grade where kids could dress up as whatever they wanted to be,” Priestley said. “I remember I wore a white lab coat, and I had a pill bottle with some M&M’s in it. So, I guess ever since then, I realized that’s what I wanted to do.”