Northboro Pharmacy Closes After 119 Years In Business

NORTHBORO (CBS) – It was the bittersweet end of an era in Northboro this week. The doors of Shattuck Pharmacy closed for good Wednesday night – after 119 years in business.

Pharmacist Paul Shattuck took over the family business in 1980, from his father and grandfather. He says changes over the years – to the delivery of health care as well as third party insurance carriers – led to this difficult decision.

"You call them customers, I call them extended family," Paul Shattuck said. "I respect and love them all. That's the hardest thing for me to do. To realize they're not going to be walking through the door."

From open until close this week, the store was never empty; emotional customers came to pick up their final prescriptions, and say their "see-you-laters."

"It's a small town business," said Mary Desautels, a customer for 51 years. "We're treated like family. I won't find that anywhere else. It's a sad day for Northboro."

"Thank you for coming to my house at midnight to deliver the Albuterol for my sick child. Thanks for taking the call at two in the morning," said Kate Shattuck, Paul's wife. "I have never been as proud of him as I am today."

All the existing prescriptions were transferred to the CVS across the street. The Shattucks look forward to some travel as they start this new chapter.