Two former Bi-Mart pharmacists open their own store in Veneta, soon in Junction City

By the Eugene Register-Guard

VENETA — In the fall of 2021, Northwest retail chain Bi-Mart sold all 56 of its pharmacy businesses to Walgreens. The sale left a hole in some rural areas, a gap two former employees of the chain were eager to fill.

On May 16, pharmacists Brian Crook and Scott Davis opened Caris Pharmacy in Ray’s Grocery Store in Veneta.

“We just really realized that there was going to be an entire community out here that was no longer going to have a pharmacy to service them,” Crook said. “We’re getting busier every day as word spreads through the community, which seems to be spreading pretty quickly.”

The two are co-owners along with Heather Crook and Maria Davis, their wives. While working at Bi-Mart, the two pharmacists witnessed the closure of the chain’s pharmacies firsthand. Davis managed the pharmacy on River Road for years and Crook is a former vice president of the chain’s pharmacies.

The pair saw people in Veneta impacted by the lack of a nearby pharmacy and Eugene pharmacies impacted by the influx of customers. Crook said pharmacies saw issues with wait times, which can be especially difficult for those traveling far from home.

“We realized that going into town isn’t an option for everybody,” Crook said. “And so they really needed something here, locally, that can fill the gap.”

So far, the pharmacy has two pharmacists, four technicians and one clerk. The owners hope to open a second location in Junction City soon.

“The response has be tremendous,” Crook said. “People like the fact that we’re not part of a larger corporation, that were independently owned and operated, and the owners are working here in the pharmacy on a daily basis.”