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First Posted: 12/6/2013 Customers poured into Costa Drug Store last week to say goodbye to the staff that has been filling their prescriptions for years .
Costa Drug Stores in Clarks Summit, South Scranton and Dickson City were recently bought by Rite Aid. The three locations closed for the final time Monday, Dec. 9.
 George Chelland, one of the store&#8217;s owners, is retiring, which is one reasons for the stores closing.
&#8220;It is with deep sadness and regret that we inform you that, due to the current and past economic and regulatory climate, we have made a decision to close our pharmacy,&#8221; wrotestore owners Chelland, John (Jack) Rooney, and Joe Costa in a letter provided to customers.
&#8220;It is all about the dollar. Larger companies are letting down the smaller ones,&#8221; said longtime employee Faye Philbin.
Philbin, 74, has worked at the Costa Drug Store, located on 100 Old Lackawanna Trail, Clarks Summit for over 30 years. Jack Cellerari, 57, has been a pharmacist there for 33 years.
&#8220;I started working at the Scranton store while I was going to school at Philadelphia Pharmacy and Science. I stayed there for about three months and once I got my license went to the Clarks Summit store,&#8221; he said.
Costa Drugs first opened its doors on Highland Avenue in September of 1979 and remained there for 20 years. They moved to their present location at Summit Square, near Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket, in 1999.
&#8220;I loved talking to the people,&#8221; Cellerari said. &#8220;There is no glass window between me and them. I filled people&#8217;s prescriptions and they grew up. Now I am filling their children&#8217;s prescriptions. It is family oriented. People could call me at home if they had a question about their medicine.&#8221;
That desire to go the extra mile for their customers did not go unnoticed by the community.
&#8220;The people were always very friendly, nice and personable,&#8221; said Cindy Walters, of Dalton, about the staff at the Clarks Summit store.
Walters paid one last visit to the store Dec. 7, and said she will miss Costa Drug for a number of reasons.
&#8220;It was convenient because it was so close to home, but it will mainly be the people I&#8217;ll miss,&#8221; said Walters.
Prescription information will be transferred to Rite Aid Pharmacy at 1050 Northern Blvd., Clarks Summit. To check the status of a prescription at Rite Aid, call (570) 587-4508.

Costa Drug closes its doors