Sanford Health announces expanded Lewis Drug partnership
| Aug. 28, 2025 |
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sanford Health announced today that Lewis Drug, a family-owned pharmacy and retail store chain with 60 locations throughout South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota, is joining Sanford Health, ensuring continued access and convenience to pharmacy services and retail items for communities across the region. The partnership is expected to be finalized this fall.
“This partnership is a natural next step in our long-term, trusted relationship and reflects our shared commitment to improving quality of life for our patients and communities and providing the highest quality pharmacy care for those we serve,” said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “Lewis Drug is a cornerstone in the communities it serves and has built a remarkably strong retail and pharmacy workforce and culture. We look forward to furthering that legacy as part of Sanford Health.”
The two organizations have successfully partnered to serve patients and meet local community needs for more than 25 years.
- This includes the co-location of 11 Sanford Health clinics with Lewis Drug pharmacies to make it easier for patients to access prescription and non-prescription medications.
- Sanford Health has also partnered with Lewis Drug for ambulatory pharmacists located in Sanford clinics in Sioux Falls.
- Lewis Drug has long been the pharmacy provider for a number of Good Samaritan locations.
- Sanford Health has co-owned 44 Lewis Family Drug locations in rural communities outside of Sioux Falls for many years.
“At a time when the health care field is facing a variety of challenges, our partnership provides stability and helps safeguard access to essential health care services for the patients and communities we serve,” said Gassen. “By bringing Lewis Drug into Sanford Health’s integrated health care system, we are helping ensure communities across the upper Midwest continue to have access to medications, vaccinations, screenings and expert support from Lewis Drug’s team of skilled pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.”
Lewis Drug has served as a trusted neighborhood pharmacy and retail destination for more than 80 years, known for its personalized customer service, hospitality and convenience.
“This partnership is built on trust, and our long-term relationship with Sanford Health laid the groundwork for the joint decision to bring Lewis Drug fully into the integrated Sanford Health system,” said Mark Griffin, Lewis Drug CEO. “Customers and patients will continue to have the same great experience when they walk into a Lewis store as they have for the last 80 years – from our name and branding to our outstanding and dedicated customer service.”
Lewis Drug will continue to operate under its current brand, and its team of 188 pharmacists and 1,300 team members will become employees of Sanford Health. There will be no changes to the leadership team at Lewis Drug, and Griffin will continue in a multi-year advisory role once the partnership is finalized to ensure a smooth transition.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 53,000 employees and serves over 2 million patients and nearly 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 56 hospitals, 288 clinic locations, 147 senior care communities, 4,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 1,500 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to 78 specialties. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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