Model Pharmacy

Delbert and Frances Swindle opened the Model Pharmacy in 1947 (actually on the north side of Lomas) and operated it until 1986, when Jack Lerner bought the business. Jack owned and operated the pharmacy until its close in August 2020.

The pharmacy moved to 3636 Monte Vista NE in 1985.

Although filling prescriptions accounted for only a small percentage of its sales in recent years, Model Pharmacy was an Albuquerque institution for nearly 35 years. More recently, the store at the corner of Monte Vista and Lomas operated as a café, soda fountain, and shop. The business closed, though, in July 2020—in part due to slowing business brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. These objects allow us to tell a couple different kinds of stories - the story of a local pharmacy in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and how the pandemic shuttered some small local businesses.