Local pharmacy shuts down after 44 years

Julian Ornelas/The Madera Tribune

Pill Box Pharmacy owner Debra Chu-Yep stands in front of empty shelves as she closed the store on July 30, after 44 years in business.

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After 44-and-a-half years in operation, pharmacist Debra Chu-Yep closed the doors of the Pill Box Pharmacy at the La Esperanza Food Center on North Lake Street on July 30 as she prepares for retirement.

“I’ve been thinking about it (retirement) for several years, but it was hard,” Chu-Yep said. “I’m the watchdog of the property, because it’s a family property and I’m here five days a week, so if there are any problems, a lot of the tenants would come to me. Now that I don’t have to be here, it felt like a smoother transition for me to retire.”

Chu-Yep has spent the majority of her life in the pharmaceutical field, a path inspired by advice from her mother.