Why Pharmacies Don't Serve Soda And Ice Cream Floats Anymore

If the thought of a customer sitting at a counter enjoying a tasty root beer float while a pharmacist hands over their prescription sounds like a scene out of an old timey movie, that's probably because the golden age of soda fountain pharmacies has long passed. But, who do we have to blame for the lack of fizzy drinks and counter service at our pharmacies?

Well, the finger can be turned to McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and all the other fast food giants. The growth of this section of the food industry, along with bottled sodas and a shifted focus to fulfilling medication needs, are all factors that led to the eventual demise of soda pharmacies. 

When soda pharmacies first popped up, the reason for the connection between fizzy beverages and pharmaceuticals was because flavored syrups, cream, and carbonated water were used to make some medicinal treatments. In fact, the world's first soda brand was used to treat stomach pains – you might even drink it yourself when you've got an upset tummy. Eventually, the menus at soda pharmacies expanded beyond sweet, flavored medicine to offering things like ice cream, milkshakes, and even food. This opened up the business to more customers but also more competition.

Soda pharmacies became extremely popular in the 1920s when Prohibition hit and bars were no longer an acceptable place for people to hangout. But as soda pharmacies expanded their food and beverage offerings, the business became less about the pharmacy side. By the 1950s, pre-bottled sodas were more commercially available, which contributed to the decline of soda pharmacies. Rather than having a friendly soda jerk (the person behind the counter doling out the root beer floats) dispense a fizzy beverage, patrons could just buy their Coca-Cola in a bottle.

Adding food to the mix also placed soda pharmacies in competition with other businesses like the already-growing fast food industry. The convenience of the drive-thru lane and the availability of people's favorite sodas beat out sitting at a counter waiting for their medications. As pharmacies saw the decline, they started moving away from soda fountains and stocking shelves with more practical items and home goods.

While the heyday of soda pharmacies is long gone, there remains some remnants of the deliciously convenient business. Soda pharmacies in Tennessee, Rhode Island, and other American states are keeping the tradition alive. Doane's Valley Pharmacy in Washington offers a laundry list of old time classics like ice cream sundaes, floats, malts, ice cream sodas, and more. At the same time, the business prides itself on its personalized care on the pharmacy side, making it a point to try to know all its customers by name. Fast food restaurants and bottled fountain drinks may have led to soda pharmacies dying out, but if there's one thing to learn from the industry, it's that nostalgia sells.