After 37 years, the Weatherly area is without a pharmacy.

This past Wednesday was the last day of operation for Weatherly Area Community Pharmacy.

The store and pharmacy on Carbon Street are now closed.

Customers’ prescription records have been transferred to the CVS on East Locust Street in Nesquehoning. Prescription delivery can be arranged.

Weatherly Area Community Pharmacy owner and pharmacist Ed Melber is retiring.

He wraps up a 40-year career as a pharmacist.

“No one knows you, or cares for you, like your local town independent pharmacy,” he said in a Times News interview in 2017.

In order to stay competitive with the chain pharmacies, Weatherly Pharmacy had a discount loyalty card that can be used for all medications - prescription and over-the-counter. He said chain pharmacies will discount some drugs and raise the prices on others to cover the difference. He doesn’t.

“I don’t want people to even think about if they can get their medication,” Melber said in that interview. “I want them to come here and know they’re getting a good value.”

In addition to medications, the pharmacy carried a wide variety of gift items like jewelry, purses, scarves, garden decorations, fashion wear, T-shirts and specialty greeting cards that said “Greetings from Weatherly” and even Hershey’s ice cream and treats and cakes.

A team of loyal long-serving employees helped the pharmacist take personal care of the customers. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the staff was providing customers their prescriptions and sundries through a walk-up window at the side of the historic building.

The pharmacy started after a group of local businessmen recruited a pharmacist to open in the borough because there was no pharmacy in the borough.

That pharmacist retired in 2011 when Melber purchased the business.

Over the years, the Weatherly pharmacy was a supporter of community groups, and youth sports. Among their sponsorships was a team in the Biddy Basketball League.

In time, Melber bought the historic Erdman Dairy building, and moved his business there.

That space is now available.

Melber offers heartfelt thanks to his customers and the community for their support, closing his note about the closing by wishing “great health to all.”