C and C Drugs has permanently opened shop with a brand-new drugstore in West St. Tammany. Specifically, it’s on the corner of Lonesome Road and Louisiana Highway 59 near Mandeville. It’s a beautiful location that sits on four acres surrounded by lovely oak trees.
Jim and Scott Vallee, natives of Arabi in St. Bernard Parish, continues to provide the high level of service C and C Drugs has been known for four decades. It was over forty years ago when C and C Drugs first opened its doors in Arabi. The Cuchera brothers opened the drugstore in February of 1965, but were flooded by Hurricane Betsy in September of that same year.
After Betsy, the Cuchera Brothers split and Jim Vallee began working for the remaining Cuchera brother at C and C Drugs. In 1984, Jim bought the business from Cuchera and then Cuchera worked for him until his retirement. The Arabi location is still in operation today.
Ironically, it took another hurricane (Katrina) for the Vallee’s to move their drugstore to the northshore. Immediately after the storm, they leased a retail location and opened on Highway 59 near the intersection of Highway 1088. Jim had moved to the northshore prior to the storm, but Scott moved post Katrina.
The New Store
Although they still have their drugstore in St. Bernard, the big news is the opening of their brand new drugstore. They plan to open the new location on the weekend of January 9th. Scott Vallee, owner and pharmacist, said, “The opening was planned around the success of the New Orleans Saints and their play-off run to the Superbowl. We are opening during their bye-week.”
“We are very excited about our new location,” said Scott. The new store boasts 6,900 SF of space. There will be a much larger retail area in the front of the store to carry more product lines to meet the expectations of their customers.
The new drugstore is very spacious and beautiful. “Our architect and builder did a fantastic job in keeping with the architectural design of this area. We are very proud of our new building and we are here to stay.” Said Scott.
Additionally, to make it more convenient for our customers, we will have a Drive-Thru window to expedite your prescription orders. “Although we like to see our customers in person in the store, we knew it was important to have a Drive-Thru to help customers, especially on those rainy days or if they are in a hurry,” said Scott.
Personal Service
The Vallee’s still provides the same level of service they did back in 1965. Today, they still have some of the same customers they originally served. “We still have customers that come into the northshore location to see my dad,” said Scott. “His relationships are very strong.” In the early years, C and C Drugs used to deliver fried chicken dinners to its customers, along with their prescription. There was a Popeye’s that opened directly across the street at their St. Bernard location.
The personal service is, by far, the leading factor in C and C Drugs success. “We know most, if not all of our customers by name. They can call us anytime for practical advice and our pharmacists are happy to help in any way they can,” said Scott. ‘Our customer’s love the fact we know them by name. Not just their last name, but their first name, too”
Although Jim and Scott Vallee are the lead father and son pharmacist team, pharmacists Diane Kraft and Frank Olasin are like part of the family.
“We have approximately 15 employees (some part-time) that help us provide the high quality service our customers have come to expect. We appreciate all of their efforts.” Said Scott.
Vital Care - Home Infusion Services
C and C Drugs is more than just a full retail pharmacy. They specialize in compounding and has an offshoot business called Vital Care. It is complimentary to their main line service, but provides personal delivery of medications to patients in a 50-mile radius. Scott says, “Home infusion therapy allows our patients to receive medications, such as antibiotics, pain management, hydration therapy, and vital fluids without hospitalization using intravenous (IV) therapy. This therapy is coordinated with your Home Health agency and the physician of your choice.”
Online RX Refills
The Mandeville location offers online prescription refills for their existing customers. This new and convenient option can be found at www.candcdrugs.com. Although you will need an access code, you can easily get that by coming into their new location.
C and C Drugs
2803 Highway 59
Mandeville, Louisiana
985.626.0234
www.CandCdrugs.com