Sanford Health to Take Over Lewis Drug Stores

Sanford Health announced today, August 28, that it will be taking over Lewis Drug, a family-owned pharmacy and retail store chain with 60 locations throughout South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. The deal also includes the 11 pharmacies already located in Sanford Health clinics. Sanford says it expects the merger to be finalized this fall. 

Lewis Drug will continue to operate under its current brand. The 188 pharmacists and 1,300 team members affected will become employees of Sanford Health. In their announcement, Sanford also noted they have partnered with Lewis for more than 25 years at the 11 Sanford Health clinics that contain Lewis Drug pharmacies and the 44 co-owned Lewis Family Drug locations in rural communities outside of Sioux Falls.

Sanford did not individually name the pharmacies included in the acquisition but the list of Lewis locations in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa includes:

South Dakota –  Aberdeen(2), Beresford, Brandon, Brookings, Canton, Chamberlain, Clark, Clear Lake, DeSmet, Dell Rapids, Elk Point, Flandreau, Howard, Huron, Lennox, Madison, Milbank, Mitchell (2), Plankinton, Sisseton, Sioux Falls (9 retail), Tea, Viborg, Watertown, and Wessington Springs.

Minnesota – Graceville, Jackson, Lake Field, Luverne, Madelia, Ortonville, Pipestone, St James, Tracy, and Windom.

Iowa – Hull, Ida Grove, Monville, Onawa, Rock Rapids, Rock Valley, Sheldon, Sibley, and Sioux Center.

George Fredrickson and Jesse Lewis founded Lewis Drug on Phillips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls in 1942 at the beginning of  World War II.  The business became one of the first self-service drug stores in the nation, and at that time was called Lewis Self-Service. The store pioneered the practice of allowing drug store customers to not only look at the products, but to touch things such as aspirin without the aid of a pharmacist or employee.

John Griffin became their first manager. Griffin bought out Jesse Lewis in 1946. Griffin’s son Mark became the sole owner in 1984. The company has been considered a family-owned business – now in its third generation. Its yearly revenue in 2024 was $67.5 million.