The Medicine Shoppe closed Tuesday after operating as a pharmacy for 14 years at 910 Tusculum Blvd.

Brad Phelps, The Medicine Shoppe's owner-operator, said in an interview this week that he had decided to accept a "good" offer from CVS, the major pharmacy chain that has three stores in Greeneville. He declined to provide the sale price.

Phelps said he closed the store at 6 p.m. Tuesday and it is not expected to be reopened as a pharmacy.

Phelps said he "wanted to thank our customers. We're sorry we closed. We are going to miss our friends here."

He said customers with prescriptions at The Medicine Shoppe can have them filled at the CVS Pharmacy at 837 Tusculum Blvd., by calling Melissa Hughes, a former employee of The Medicine Shoppe who has gone to work at that CVS. Her telephone number is 787-9544.

Phelps said The Medicine Shoppe did well financially during most of its 14 years, but in the past year was "getting squeezed" by price competition from larger pharmacies.

He said The Medicine Shoppe, which once had nine employees, was down to five when the store closed.

Phelps, 48, graduated in 1989 from pharmacy school at the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

He and his wife reside in Johnson City. They have two grown children, Chris, 25, and Stephanie, 22.

Phelps said he and his family expect to remain in the Tri-Cities region, and that he has already been offered a pharmacy position by CVS there.