A Familiar Name
For more than a century, Cowan Drugs has been woven into the daily life of downtown Lebanon — a place where prescriptions are filled, neighbors are greeted by name, and help is offered long after the doors officially close. Today, that legacy is carried forward by owner and pharmacist John Cowan, whose family has operated the independent pharmacy for generations.
The business itself dates back to 1888, when it first opened on Lebanon’s courthouse square. John Cowan’s father arrived in town in 1956 and purchased part of the pharmacy from a previous owner, later acquiring full ownership in 1968.
“It’s been in my family since then,” Cowan says. “My dad owned the downtown store when I was born, so I literally grew up in that pharmacy.”
By age 6, Cowan was already working there in small ways. It served as an early introduction to a profession that would eventually become his life’s work.
After graduating from Purdue University in 1987, Cowan briefly worked for a chain pharmacy before returning home in late 1988. He became a co-owner alongside his sister in 1993 and assumed full ownership in late 2025. While the tools of the trade have changed dramatically since those early days, the mission has stayed the same — personal care, delivered locally.
Technology and modernization have reshaped pharmacy practice over the decades, from electronic records to sophisticated safety checks. Two years ago, Cowan Drugs installed a state-of-the-art pharmacy computer system that allows for text messaging, multiple verification steps and near-zero error rates. At the same time, Cowan has expanded services to meet evolving community needs. The pharmacy offers vaccinations, including flu, COVID-19, RSV and pneumonia. The staff administered thousands of shots during the height of the pandemic, often with lines stretching outside the door.
Yet what truly sets Cowan Drugs apart is its commitment to individualized service. The pharmacy provides compliance packaging, including presorted bubble packs labeled by day and time, to help patients manage complex medication schedules and remain living safely at home. “A lot of people can stay out of assisted living facilities because they’re able to take their meds correctly,” Cowan says. Delivery service extends throughout Lebanon and to nearby communities, with extra flexibility for emergencies.
That trust has helped Cowan Drugs endure as other independents have disappeared. When Cowan began his career, three independent pharmacies operated on Lebanon’s square alone. Today, Cowan Drugs is the only true independent pharmacy left in the county, a reality shaped in part by the pressures of pharmacy benefit managers and shrinking reimbursements. Still, Cowan remains committed.
“I care about my customers,” he says. “I still love my job, and I’ll do it as long as I enjoy it.”
The business has grown thoughtfully, including the opening of a second location, Parkside Pharmacy, by Cowan’s father in 1976 to offer easier access and parking. The downtown store also features a long-standing Hallmark shop, originally opened as a separate Gift Barn in the 1970s and later brought under the same roof, along with a restaurant space that has operated in the back of the pharmacy since 1969.
Cowan is quick to credit his team for the pharmacy’s success. Several employees have been with the business for decades, including a pharmacist with more than 25 years, a front-of-store and Hallmark associate with nearly 40 years, and a technician approaching 30 years.
“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our wonderful employees,” he says.
A lifelong Lebanon resident, Cowan has also served his community beyond the counter, including on the chamber board, the county health department board and for nearly 40 years as a high school basketball referee. Those roles reflect the same philosophy that guides his pharmacy: show up, know your neighbors, and do things the right way. In a rapidly changing health care landscape, Cowan Drugs remains a steady, familiar presence — and proof that independent, family-owned businesses still matter.
For more information, visit mygnp.com/pharmacies/cowan-drugs-lebanon-in-46052/.
