As of Tuesday, Coupeville residents no longer need to block out a whole afternoon to pick up their prescriptions.

The WhidbeyHealth Community Pharmacy officially opened after a brief ceremony on the morning of Sept. 21.

“It has been a long project, and one that I think is well worth it for the community,” said pharmacy director Tony Triplett at the opening ceremony, adding that the new facility will improve WhidbeyHealth’s capacity to provide “patient-focused care.”

Coupeville hasn’t had a retail pharmacy in town since Linds Pharmacy closed more than six years ago. Coupeville residents have had to travel north or south to pick up prescriptions, where travel and wait times often made the errand a frustratingly long affair.

“Now you don’t have to come out of a doctor’s office and decide, ‘Am I going to drive 12 miles that way or 15 miles that way?’” Mayor Molly Hughes said at the ceremony.

The new pharmacy is located right next to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center at 7 NE Birch Street, in the building that used to house Wells Fargo.

Being located in the once-bank has some benefits, according to WhidbeyHealth marketing manager Conor O’Brien. The remodeled bank vault provides a secure location for storing certain medications. The building was also already equipped with a drive-through, which the pharmacy will use for convenient prescription pick-up.

The new pharmacy also has a consultation window, set back from the pick-up windows for privacy.

“The availability of a retail pharmacy in Coupeville again is something we are very proud of,” said WhidbeyHealth CEO Ron Telles. “It is consistent with WhidbeyHealth’s commitment to continuously improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare resources for our community.”

Photo by Karina Andrew/Whidbey News-Times Opening ceremony guests tour the new pharmacy.