Since 1903, Carmichael Drugs have been providing pharmacy services. They started in downtown Monroe as a small store providing simple remedies, tonics and cure-alls. Over the years, the drug store grew into a full-service, high tech pharmacy with two locations in Monroe and Covington. Today they offer in-home intravenous (IV) therapy, pain management and counseling, diabetic education, customized breathing treatments and medications, and quality home medical equipment.

In the early 70s, Greg Hickman partnered with Kelly Farmer and purchased the pharmacy from the Carmichael family. Both men were pharmacists that had met in school at the University of Georgia. Over the years, they instilled the values of family and community into the Carmichael’s culture. They built a business of highly qualified, professional pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and managers who are eager to meet the needs of their patients.

Greg Hickman understood the importance of building relationships in the small communities of Monroe and Covington. His daughter Lindsey Hickman said, “My father believed in forming strong relationships where everyone is treated with the same amount of respect. In our small community, he had good, long-standing relationships with medical professionals and his patients. He hired with this same philosophy in mind.”

The legacy of Carmichael’s is very well established in Monroe. That legacy includes the philosophy of giving back to the community. Greg Hickman was actively supportive of organizations and programs in Monroe since the early 1980s. He became a member of the Clearview Regional Board approximately 10 years ago.

“He always was willing to help and wanted to better the community,” said Lindsey Hickman about her father. “He was all about loving where you live.”

The list is long of how he helped in the community. He was a contributor of the Walton Boys and Girls Club. Education has always been important to Greg Hickman. Under his leadership, Carmichael’s was one of the first Partners in Education in Walton County. As a Partner in Education, they implemented work-based learning for students by providing internships. In addition, Carmichael’s has been an active contributor of On Stage Playhouse where they provided meeting room space and box office support several times per year, including during the summer youth workshops.

In June 2016, Greg Hickman passed away. With his passing, the legacy of Carmichael’s continues on through his family, staff and the community. The commitment to provide their clients, customers and patients the top quality products and superior services they have come to expect will continue.

“We are planning on keeping the business in the family,” said Lindsey Hickman. Greg’s wife, Wanda Hickman, has always been very involved while working alongside Greg and will continue to operate the business with one of their daughters, Leah Ferguson. They also have staff and managers in place who knew her father’s mindset and both stores continue to operate with that mindset. Lindsay said, “Larry and Randy, the managers in Covington, keep similar mindsets about treating everyone with the same respect and also have built strong community relationships. Everything will remain the same, with the same commitment to the community.”

In addition to the pharmacy and medical-related services and equipment, Carmichael’s sells gifts and home décor. They also have a wedding registry. They are located at 150 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Monroe, Georgia and at 9148 US-278 in Covington, Georgia. Additional information can be obtained online at http://carmichaeldrugs.com/.