Meet Buddy

Earl L. “Buddy” Carter was born and raised in Port Wentworth. He attended public schools in Chatham County and graduated in 1975 from Groves High School. From there he went to Young Harris College where he received an Associate of Science Degree. He then transfered to the University of Georgia where he recieved his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy in 1980.

Buddy worked as a staff Pharmacist and Pharmacy Manager at Rupert Heller’s Prescriptions on Hwy 80 in Garden City from 1980 until November of 1988. On November 28, 1988 he opened his first Retail Pharmacy, Carter’s Pharmacy, Inc. in Pooler. In 1992 he opened another business, Carter’s Institutional Pharmacy, Inc., a business servicing nursing homes, personal care homes and hospices. In 1996 he opened his second retail pharmacy in Garden City and in 2006 opened his third retail pharmacy in Rincon.

In February of 1997, Buddy sold his Institutional Pharmacy, then servicing approximately 2000 nursing home beds throughout south Georgia, to Omnicare, Inc. Omnicare, Inc., located in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the largest provider of nursing home medications in the world. Today, Buddy still consults part time for Omnicare and he continues to own and operate the three retail Pharamacies.

On September 9, 1978, Buddy married his college sweetheart, the former Amy Coppage from Waycross. Amy is a Registered Physical Therapist, having graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy degree. Buddy and Amy have 3 adult sons- Joel, who lives in Charlotesville, VA with his wife Megan, Barrett, who lives in New Orleans, LA, and Travis, a rising Senior at the University of Georgia. 

The Carter family has lived in Pooler since 1980 and now reside at 406 Purple Finch Dr.