About Us
Economy Drugs is one of the oldest independent pharmacies still operating in Western North Carolina. Established in 1948 by two brothers, Bob & Bob Wilson, our staff is hometown friendly, and our customers love our quick and dependable service. We offer private consultations as well as medicine utilization reviews.
We are locally owned and operate a full-service professional pharmacy that has served Western North Carolina residents for over 70 years. We take pride in "going above and beyond" to find prescription solutions for patients and physicians. As our pharmacy has grown over many years, we would not be here without our community's many loyal customers. We are committed to providing exceptional customer service at an affordable cost. To filling traditional prescriptions, we compound medications for a wide variety of conditions for both human and veterinary patients. With our state-of-the-art laboratory, we can compound both sterile and non-sterile products for humans and animals.
We carry a full line of natural vitamins and all-natural skincare products and are always available to help with your purchase decisions. We carry unique orthopedic products and home-health equipment for most of your non-hospital daily needs. We also offer cards and gifts for all your one-stop shopping needs.
We offer a free prescription delivery service and individual consulting. We welcome most insurance plans, and special ordering is available for those hard-to-find items.
Come in and talk to Jack, Bret, or Wendy about all your pharmaceutical needs. We are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 7:00pm, and Saturday from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Please call if you have a medical question, and we will be happy to assist you. Our number is (828) 692-4266. Be sure to come by today to refill your next prescription!
We offer a variety of services for the community of Hendersonville. Our services include:
Filling prescriptions.
Compounding specialty items and medications.
A drive-thru for quick service.
Delivery for homebound patients.
Durable medical equipment.
A large selection of cards and unique gifts.
As always, you can expect fast and friendly service that you will not find anywhere else. We want you to feel like family when you come through the door and always feel free to ask advice or just talk about football!
Text refills to (828) 458-8172 or Email to economydrugshvl@gmail.com or download the app in the Apple Store or Google Play. Search for Economy Drugs. It will say, "Pocket Rx."
History
In the 1940s, a young man named William Wilson Sr. established Wilson Drugs on 7th Avenue. He sold the drug store to fellow friend Jack Lovingood when he retired in 1948. Mr. Wilson (Pharmacist) re-opened Economy Drugs in 1948, with a new location on 4th and Main Street as a local pharmacy and soda shop.
Until 1966, brothers Bill Wilson and Bob Wilson R. Ph. maintained that location and then moved the drug store to the countryside of 605 5th Avenue West, where it currently resides today. They wanted to move it closer to the hospital to reach more of their customers. They also established a new idea of a Drive-Thru window for sick patients. It is one of the oldest drive-thru windows in the state of NC and is still in operation today.
In 1982, the Wilson brothers sold Economy Drugs to Mr. Robert Whatley, who then owned and operated it from 1982-1995 as Economart Pharmacy. He established three locations Hendersonville, Etowah, and Brevard, NC locations.
As a young pharmacy student and Pharmacist, Jack Romer worked for Economart until October 1995, when he had the opportunity to purchase the store. At that time, he approached local leaders Flip Fisher and Larry Baber of Whitley Drugs of the idea of possibly buying Economart from Robert Whatley and becoming partners, and so they did. They purchased Economart Pharmacy and returned the name to Economy Drugs to honor the store's history with the Wilson family.
When the store's sale was accomplished, and Jack, Flip, and Larry became partners in both stores. Larry Baber retired in 2001. Currently, the corporation that consists of Whitley Drugs and Economy Drugs is owned by Pharmacists Flip Fisher R.Ph. and Jack Romer R.Ph.
Our Staff
Jack Romer, RPh
Owner, Pharmacist
Originally from Staten Island, NY Jack & his family moved Hendersonville NC in 1978 to enjoy the awesome weather and beautiful mountains of NC. As a native of Hendersonville for 37 years, graduating from East Henderson High School, Jack is proud to call Hendersonville home.
He pursued a degree in Pharmacy at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. He graduated in 1988. Like many other pharmacy graduates, Jack went to work for a large chain pharmacy but quickly realized he could serve his community in a larger capacity by offering better customer care in a friendly hometown atmosphere. Jack began his journey as a pharmacist for Econo Mart then in 1990, he had the opportunity to open his own pharmacy and return the original pharmacy name to the people of Hendersonville, “Economy Drugs”.
While at USC he met his wife Beth, and they have two sons, Grayson and Nicholas. They are members of Immaculate Conception Church. Jack is a member of the North Carolina Pharmacy Association and National Community Pharmacy Association. He enjoys the outdoors and is a proud Gamecock Alumni!
Bret Mathis, Pharm D
We are excited to announce the newest member of Economy Drugs, Bret Mathis. The son of Greg and Deborah Mathis, Senior Pastor at Mud Creek Baptist Church, Bret was born and raised right here in Hendersonville. In 2007, Bret graduated from Clemson University with a BS in Health Sciences. He then continued on to Campbell University where he received his Doctorate in Pharmacy. Bret has been a practicing Pharmacist for 6 years now and lives in Hendersonville with his wife and new daughter. Bret is excited to join the Economy Drugs team.
