Tom McLaughlin (left) a long time pharmacist at Thrifty White Drug Store shakes hands with his replacement, Krystal Kanealy who began work on June 1 this year. McLaughlin is set to retire on July 9 and has worked at the Thrifty White, formerly Thompson Drug Store, for over 40 years.

By Aaron Follett — Daily Freeman-Journal Writer Changes are underway at Thrifty White Drug Store on Willson Avenue this month. After over 40 years of service, pharmacist Tom McLaughlin is saying goodbye to Webster City's Thrifty White Drug Store. McLaughlin is retiring on July 9. "It's been a pleasure," McLaughlin said. McLaughlin, born in Clinton, has been a Webster City pharmacist since 1969. He credits his interest in pharmaceuticals to an assignment he had to do in the 8th grade. The assignment was to do a report on a profession and McLaughlin interviewed a pharmacist. Intrigued, McLaughlin went to the University of Iowa to study pharmaceuticals for five years and graduated in 1967. His first job as a pharmacist was in Moline, Illinois, at a Walgreens. With the Vietnam War still raging on, McLaughlin was about to be drafted, but was passed over when he failed the physical test. His wife Judy, whom he married in 1966, had a job at Thompson's Drug Store in Webster City.