NuCara Pharmacy in Fairfield to close July 11

FAIRFIELD – NuCara Pharmacy in Fairfield has announced that it will close its doors on July 11.

The company announced on Tuesday, July 2, that it is forced to close its Fairfield branch, inside Jefferson County Health Center, due to “a competitor hiring our entire pharmacy staff, including our pharmacist.”

The company informed customers that their prescriptions will be transferred to Summit Pharmacy in Fairfield, unless they request to have their prescriptions transferred to a different pharmacy.

“We appreciate the trust and loyalty you have shown NuCara Pharmacy in Fairfield,” stated a news release from the company. “Please know it was our hope to be a part of the community for many years to come. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond our control have led us to make this difficult decision.”

NuCara CEO Brian Wegmann told The Union Tuesday that the company’s Fairfield branch employs six staffers, including a full-time pharmacist and a part-time pharmacist. He said all staff members gave notice of their impending departure on the same day.

“We were completely blindsided,” he said. “We love the community of Fairfield, and are proud to be part of it. Unfortunately, given the short notice we receive, we don’t have the staff to start brand-new in a timely enough manner, in a safe manner.”

NuCara’s headquarters are in Conrad, Iowa, a small town north of Marshalltown. It was founded over 50 years ago as a single pharmacy, and since then has grown to have 20-plus satellite locations and has expanded into home medical respiratory services and long-term care facilities.

“We do quite a bit in the pharmacy world,” Wegmann said.

Wegmann said the company has seen significant growth over the past two decades, which included opening a branch in Fairfield in 2009, the same year Jefferson County Health Center moved to its current location on the south side of town.

“We were part of that initial buildout,” Wegmann said. “We were invited to open a pharmacy in the hospital because the hospital felt the community needed another option.”

Wegmann said he wants NuCara’s customers to know that the company is doing all it can to make this transition as smooth as possible given the difficult circumstances.

“This was not our plan,” he said. “We wish we had more time to properly notify our patients and assist them in transferring their prescriptions. We’re trying to make that process as easy as possible.”

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com