Picture: Blessman’s Pharmacy has serviced customers since 1969: From left, Mike Blessman and Claude Blessman have owned and operated Blessman’s Pharmacy in Canton for several decades. Claude started the business in 1969 when the former Coleman Clinic first opened on South Main Street. Mike followed in his father’s footsteps as a pharmacist and took over the business in 1998. He says because of problems receiving Medicaid payments from the state, however, he has decided to close the business at its current site. It will move to Walgreens effective Friday. Blessman says he will continue to work there, along with some of his staff.
Article: Blessman’s Pharmacy is acquired by Walgreens: A local family-owned business that has been serving the medical prescription needs of the community for more than 40 years will close this week. The owner says the cause is not lack of customers; business is good. The problem is failure to receive adequate and timely Medicaid payments from the state. Mike Blessman, pharmacist and owner of Blessman’s Pharmacy in the Graham Medical Building on South Main Street in Canton, said Monday the business will be open until Thursday, Aug. 11, and then it will close. He said Walgreens has acquired the business and will move it to the local Walgreens locations on North Main Street. After the close of business Thursday, customers will need to call Walgreens for their prescription needs, said Blessman. He noted Walgreens is electrically converting the computer software of Blessman’s to its software. “It should be an easy transition,” Blessman said. Blessman, 46, does not plan to retire, however. He indicated his agreement with Walgreens includes the services of him and others. “I’ll be there. I’ll be working for them along with some staff to make the transition easy for everybody,” Blessman said. He added he plans to work for Walgreens on a permanent basis. He said he did not know what will happen to the pharmacy area at the medical building after Blessman’s closes. He said he has a lease for five years and still holds a lease option. He added he will deal with Graham Hospital after he gets things sorted out with Walgreens and the changes he is undergoing. Blessman said he wished he had another option, but the state has not been paying him sufficiently for Medicaid bills. “They’re getting more and more behind every week. They don’t pay me, then I can’t pay my bills,” he said. “This was the only option I saw. It’s unfortunate. This is a viable business. It’s been very busy. The state forced me out of business.” Blessman also said he did not want to get to the position of the nursing home in Astoria, which recently announced it was closing due to ongoing late payments from the state. “I want to pay my people,” he stressed. Blessman’s Pharmacy was started in 1969 by Mike Blessman’s father, Claude Blessman, who was on hand and helping at the local drug store Monday. “I started it from scratch when they opened the new clinic across the street,” the elder Blessman said, referring to when the Coleman Clinic moved from the west side of the square to a new facility on South Main. (The Health and Wellness Clinic of Fulton County is now located at the former Coleman Clinic at 175 S. Main St.) “The first day I had 10 prescriptions,” he said. Claude Blessman said he turned the business over to his son in 1998. They both reside in Canton.
