On April 8, 2026, the McComb, Mississippi location of Guy’s Pharmacy was filled with patients, neighbors, employees, and Chamber of Commerce representatives, who gathered together to mark something rare: a locally owned community pharmacy still serving customers after half a century. While it was primarily a celebration of community, it was also a reminder of what healthcare looks like when someone who knows their patients keeps showing up, again and again, for fifty years.
Where Guy’s Pharmacy Got Its Start
In 1976, Keith Guy took over what was then Howard Bros. Pharmacy in McComb, Mississippi. Buying a pharmacy back then was a simpler transaction, but the mission Keith set for himself was clear from day one: know your patients, go the extra mile, and treat every customer like a neighbor. That philosophy – focusing on relationships and community care – would become the foundation for everything that followed.
Growing Into “The Community’s Pharmacy”
Guy’s Pharmacy didn’t grow by running ads. It grew from personal touches like health fairs, community seminars, flu shot clinics, and classes at retirement centers. In 2013, the Enterprise-Journal named Keith Guy its Citizen of the Year, a nomination that came from his own employees. In their letter, they noted that Keith “accomplishes each and every day for the citizens of our communities” what most people can only aspire to.
One story captures it best. When a hospice caretaker in Bogue Chitto couldn’t make the trip to McComb, Keith Guy drove out at 2 a.m. to deliver much-needed medication. When a passing sheriff’s deputy stopped to investigate their late-night handoff in a school parking lot, it took a moment to explain. But Keith was just doing what he always did, prioritizing the care of patients in our community.
The People Behind the Pharmacy
No pharmacy lasts 50 years on the back of just one person.
A 1990 feature in Mississippi Pharmacist magazine profiled Vicki Johns, who today leads Guy’s Crystal Springs location, alongside her brothers Jerry and Gary Berch as a “Family in Pharmacy.” Three siblings, all pharmacists, all serving the same region at Guy’s — Vicki in Crystal Springs, Gary as pharmacy manager in Brookhaven, and Jerry carrying on the same tradition. Together, they represent nearly three decades of combined service to this community. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because Guy’s has always been the kind of community pharmacy where people want to stay.
More Than a Pharmacy — A Family Operation
What makes Guy’s Pharmacy truly unique isn’t just the longevity — it’s who shows up to make it work. Across six locations, the team that keeps Guy’s running is made up of pharmacy technicians, cashiers, and support staff who treat every counter like a community gathering place. Many have been here for years, even decades. They know regular customers by name. They remember which medications need refilling before the patient does. They’re the ones who answer the phone, track down the hard-to-find prescriptions, and make sure nobody leaves without what they came for.
And yes — family contributes too, in the most literal sense. Guy’s has always been a place where the people who work here are invested in the community they serve, because in many cases, they live here too. It’s not a corporate pharmacy model. It’s a community health hub built on real relationships, sustained by people who genuinely care about the neighbors walking through the door.
Today, Guy’s operates six locations across Southwest Mississippi: McComb, Tylertown, Hazlehurst, Crystal Springs, and Brookhaven, as well as a compounding pharmacy in McComb.
The Celebration & The Next 50 Years
The anniversary celebration brought the community together for food, giveaways, and anniversary specials at the McComb location. Keith reflected on the milestone with characteristic humor: “People thought I was probably too young to fill a prescription then, and too old to fill one now.” Fifty years is a long time to do anything. It’s an even longer time to do it well, in the same communities, with the same commitment to the people walking through the door. Guy’s Pharmacy is celebrating because the work still matters – and because it’s just getting started.
If you’re looking for a pharmacy that knows your name, find your nearest Guy’s Pharmacy location in McComb, Tylertown, Hazlehurst, Crystal Springs, or Brookhaven. We’d love to take care of you.
