The county will soon have a pharmacy for its employees similar to the one now operating for Chattanooga workers.
At the County Commission meeting Wednesday, commissioners approved a proposed contract with OnSite Rx to manage a county pharmacy, which would be located at the McDaniel Building on Highland Park Avenue.
“I support this because I think it would be a savings (to the county),” Chairman Fred Skillern said.
According to the resolution — unanimously approved by the commission — the pharmacy is expected to save the county $2.3 million in its prescription medication costs over three years.
Rebecca Hunter, the county’s director of Human Resources, said the pharmacy could be up and running by January.
The county will pay the company roughly $200,000 a year to manage the facility, which will serve 1,900 eligible employees, according to information from the company and the county Department of Human Resources.
Commissioner John Allen Brooks had said he had concerns about the pharmacy’s hours and whether it would be accessible for employees, while commissioners Warren Mackey and Greg Beck also said people in their districts expressed similar concerns.
Mr. Beck wondered about the impact the county pharmacy would have on a locally owned pharmacy in the Highland Park neighborhood.
Mr. Mackey initially asked if commissioners could delay the vote, but County Mayor Claude Ramsey told them the sooner the county starts on the project, the sooner it could see savings.
Ms. Hunter said the employees will save money as well, and said the majority will use it for maintenance medications.
Dan Doebler, a managing partner in OnSite Rx, said at the commission’s last meeting that the pharmacy will allow the county to buy from drug wholesalers, saving taxpayers money.
Also on Wednesday the commission dealt with two tax breaks for local businesses.
The commission approved delaying a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with Gestamp Chattanooga, a stamping plant and Volkswagen supplier, to compensate for construction delays. The agreement will now start in 2011 and end in 2024, under the new terms. Plant director Nick Proctor said bad weather had pushed the construction dates back.
The commission also approved a tax break for an expansion of LJT Tennessee, which manufactures steel tubes. The agreement starts in 2011 and lasts through 2017.
LJT is expected to generate 84 jobs over three years, and Gestamp is expected to generate 230 over three years, according to the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.
Both companies must pay school taxes under the agreements, according to commissioners Larry Henry and Bill Hullander.
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