Colfax Tick Klock receives pharmacy of the year

Tick Klock Drug has been named Pharmacy of the Year by the Spokane Pharmacy Association, much to the surprise and delight of the owners.

“It was a total surprise,” Mark Johnson said.

Mark and Robyn Johnson are the second generation owners of the downtown Colfax drug store. The pharmacy was nominated for the regional award by a professor at the Washington State University School of Pharmacy.

Johnson said the pharmacy has hosted several interns throughout the years. Their son Nathan is in his first year of pharmacy school and although he knew about his parents’ award, he also was told to keep it a secret.

Nathan and the rest of the Johnson children concocted a plan to surprise their parents and told them they wanted to plan a special dinner to recognize Nathan as a third generation pharmacist.

The family, along with Lloyd Johnson and Robyn’s parents, met at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane for the special dinner at the pharmacist meeting. The last item on the program was the award.

“I think Colfax has a great clinic and that makes us be a good pharmacy and provide good patient care,” Johnson said.

Johnson said his parents owned the pharmacy for 21 years, and Mark and Robyn purchased it in 1987.

They have expanded twice in the last 10 years and recently expanded the retail portion of the store.

Johnson said they hope to do compounding of prescription medications in the near future.