Bethalto pharmacy garners small business award for September
WellCreek Pharmacy has been recognized as the RiverBend Growth Association Small Business of the Month for September 2022.
Located in Bethalto at 333 W. Bethalto Dr., Suite B, the pharmacy was opened by Owner Bruce Brueggemann over six years ago. Brueggemann noted, “I retired from Alton Kmart after 36 ½ years, but I enjoyed what I did and was not ready to stop working. So, I opened an independent community pharmacy to offer an alternative to big box stores – a pharmacy that is competitively priced and where patients become and remain friends.”
Brueggemann eventually moved WellCreek Pharmacy to its current site in the Bethalto Liberty Bank retail complex from its original location at 341 W. Bethalto Dr. The move expanded its space for customer service and merchandise, and new fixtures were also installed to further enhance the pharmacy’s service offerings and customer experience.
WellCreek Pharmacy currently has six employees, and Brueggemann shared that he and his team all keep up with continuing education requirements. “I have added one new employee,” he said. “That new employee is attending SIUE pharmacy school now.”
Community service is an important part of Brueggemann’s ongoing vision for WellCreek. “I sponsor and ride on a bicycle team for cystic fibrosis called ‘Riding for Baby Jess.’ I also sponsor individual places for the boys’ and girls’ teams at Civic Memorial,” he noted.
Brueggemann said further, “I am a medical corps volunteer with the Madison County Health Department, helping to administer COVID-19 vaccines early in the pandemic before I was able to secure vaccines through the pharmacy. After April 2021, I continued vaccinating at Villa Rose, Skyline Towers, and Hillcrest Apartments. I also host vaccination clinics in the store and make house calls too.”
Just like other businesses, the pharmacy too faced some serious challenges during the pandemic. “We closed the inside of the pharmacy and had drive-through service only during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “Coverage was a challenge, as was staying healthy with limited staff and staying open.”
Offering accurate, friendly, fast, and quality pharmacy services where they know their patients is what Brueggemann says sets Bethalto’s WellCreek Pharmacy apart from competitors in the market. “Filling the gap between corporate and mail-order pharmacies, as well as meeting new people and taking care of their pharmacy needs – those are some of the greatest opportunities we have here at WellCreek,” Brueggemann added.
Pharmacy services available through Bethalto’s WellCreek Pharmacy in addition to traditional prescription and retail options include after-hours emergency number availability, in-store or at-home vaccinations, medication planning and review, free prescription delivery, weekly medication blister packs or planners and Ortho Molecular Products, and customer access to a comprehensive pharmacy.
WellCreek Pharmacy store hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
To learn more, visit online at wellcreekpharmacy.com or call (618) 377-5356.
The RiverBend Growth Association is the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development organization for the 11 communities known as the Riverbend. For more information about the Growth Association, visit www.growthassociation.com or call (618) 467-2280.
RBGA’s Small Business of the Month Committee recognizes a different member business each month for its outstanding efforts and leadership in the community. Committee members include Brenda Eardley, Adrianna Lock, Kristen Ryrie, Leslie Schobernd, Martha Schultz, Amy Smith, and Kathy Weaver.
To learn more about membership in the RiverBend Growth Association and the Small Business of the Month recognition, visit the RBGA website or call their Godfrey office.
Shown in photo from left, Bruce Brueggemann, Patricia Wills, Brayden Shirley, Dawn Cooley, Timothy Wilson and Susan Tolleson. Not pictured is Heather Neve. (Submitted photo)
