George E. Kirk, Jr.’s career in pharmacy began in 1951 at Webb City, Missouri, shortly after graduating from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He grew up in Miami, Oklahoma, and went to school in Kansas City because job opportunities for students were available. In 1956, George moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma, to work for Pierce’s Pharmacy and in 1961, opened his first store as an independent pharmacist. Throughout the years, George owned several stores in Muskogee and became involved in many civic and religious activities in the community. George also became a leader in the pharmacy community, holding several offices at district and state levels of the Oklahoma Pharmacists Association. He served as president of the organization in 1978. On a national level, George was a member of the American College of Apothecaries (ACA), serving that organization as president in 1988-89. George has received several honors, including the A.H. Robins Bowl of Hygeia Award and the Ralph D. Bienfang Outstanding Practitioner Award from The University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy.

He and his wife, Mary Lee, along with three children worked at Kirk’s Drug. His son Gary, following in Georges’s footsteps, became a pharmacist and returned to Muskogee to be involved in the family business. Gary also served as president of the Oklahoma Pharmacists Association in 2000.

George’s philosophy of independent pharmacy is to provide quality pharmacy service to patients in the most appropriate and efficient manner. He believes new ideas that benefit patients should be incorporated into the practice of pharmacy; some of these include compounding, durable medical equipment, and home intravenous products. These ideas that were brought to fruition and the quality service approach like delivery service, hospice care, and emergency pharmacy services were all a part of George’s philosophy for independent pharmacy.