Treating you like family: At Dora Discount Pharmacy, it’s all about people

Words by McKenzie Wade | Images by Al Blanton   

Right in the heart of Dora is a pharmacy whose mission is to provide quick yet quality service to their customers. Taking a break from filling prescriptions, owner Chris Henslee relates the story of how he came to open Dora Discount Pharmacy. 

After graduating from Corner High School in 1997, Chris enrolled at Bevill State Community College. Like many young college students, he wasn’t exactly sure which career path he should take. Eventually, he landed a job at Campbell’s Pharmacy in Adamsville and was introduced to a profession that quickly caught his eye. 

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do… [but] I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field,” Chris explains. 

As he learned more about medicine, Chris applied and was accepted to pharmacy school at Samford University. In 2005, he graduated from the Samford McWhorter School of Pharmacy.

Shortly after graduating, Chris was introduced to a nursing student named Tracey who would later become his wife. Tracey and Chris now have two daughters, Price and Emory, who keep life full of joy and energy.

After college, Chris spent a few years working for a pharmacy in the Jasper area. When his wife was working for Dr. Dickson in Dora, an opportunity arose for Chris to open his own pharmacy. He’d never dreamed an incredible opportunity like this was possible—and now it was staring him in the face. 

“I didn’t know what to do at first. We prayed about it and decided to try it out,” Chris says. “I had a bunch of friends that helped give me guidance on what to do and where to go.” 

Although Chris started from scratch, his hard work and sacrifice over the years have paid off.

Chris is usually busy at the pharmacy, but he is also a man dedicated to his family. In his leisure time, you might find him working out with his wife, taking his kids to dance or piano practice, or relaxing at the lake. 

Since opening for business 11 years ago, Dora Discount Pharmacy has continued to serve the people of Dora and offer them a personal and efficient pharmacy experience. Without a doubt, Chris’s goal for the pharmacy has made and will continue to make him successful. “We try to make it a family ordeal,” Chris says. “We will sit here and talk to people for hours… [we] try to treat everybody like family.” 78