Pharmacy board punts Smithville restaurant name issue

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers will likely have to settle the issue of a Smithville restaurant with "drugstore" in its name.

The Missouri Board of Pharmacy on Wednesday took no action against Justus Drugstore: A Restaurant. The board earlier this year ordered the restaurant's owners to drop drugstore from its name, relying on a state law that bans that term from businesses unless they employ a licensed pharmacist.

The drugstore name is a reference to a pharmacy that restaurant owner Jonathan Justus' family used to operate on the same site. He says changing the name would put him out of business.

While pharmacist trade groups told the state board the law is necessary, some lawmakers have asked for time to make the law more specific so it won't affect legitimate businesses.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com