New Mansfield Pharmacy Will Sell Beer and Wine

The proposal was submitted by Lauretta Okoye of Boston, who has been a licensed pharmacist for 17 years. She applied for an alcohol license for Community Care Pharmacy, her business which will be located at 214 Rumford Ave, near the MBTA Commuter Rail stop.

Okoye, who owns other pharmacies in Boston, including Whittier Health Pharmacy in Roxbury Crossing, which has closed, described her business model as a “one-stop-shop for people in the Mansfield Community.”

She was granted the license after an hour-long debate among the she and the selectmen. Okoye, who owns other pharmacies in Boston, told the board that “This is not a new model. THere are plenty of pharmacies that also sell alcohol--CVS, Walgreens, Walmart.”

"At the end of the day, it's this board's job to decide whether there's a public need for this new business,” said Selectman Olivier Kozlowski.

Selectman George was skeptical of the proposal, saying “I wouldn’t consider those chains as comparable to your proposal because those stores sell hundreds of other products.” But he ultimately joined the majority of the board who voted to approve the license, saying the public need would be determined by the success or demise of the business.

The lone dissenter, Board Chairman Jess Aptowitz questioned whether Okoye would have enough time to operate a pharmacy in Mansfield along with the other ones in Boston. Okoye, responded that she has managers at her other locations, leaving her free to bounce around when needed.

Selectman Doug Annino designed the Rumford Avenue space, so he abstained from voting.

What do you think about the proposal for a pharmacy that sells alcohol? Let us know in the comments below.