Reporter: Lily O'Brien
When dozens of independent Kansas pharmacies close their doors Tuesday night, they won't open back up for business until Thursday.
Wednesday, independent pharmacists across Kansas will be shutting their doors and traveling to Topeka, asking lawmakers to protect their livelihoods and safeguard their services.
Eureka Pharmacy is one of the many pharmacies to close their doors Wednesday. Not only is it the only pharmacy in Eureka, it's the only pharmacy in Greenwood County.
As Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs hold control over a majority of pharmacy operations, the livelihood of independent pharmacies like Eureka Pharmacy is at risk.
According to the American Medical Association, the four largest PBMs collectively hold a 70% share of the national market. These PBMs include CVS Health, OptumRx, Express Scripts, and Prime Therapeutics. They have not yet responded to KAKE News' request for comment.
"I like the service [of independent pharmacies], and the fact that it is small-town, and they know you and the big pharmacies don't," said Sue Bitler, a customer inside Eureka Pharmacy.
For some customers, the closure of independent pharmacies can be a disruption, especially if it's the only pharmacy in a specific area.
For the entirety of Wednesday, plenty of independent pharmacy customers won't be able to fill prescriptions locally and, if someone doesn't have the means to travel, likely won't be able to get their medication at all that day.
Pharmacist and owner of Eureka Pharmacy, Isaac Boone, says their priority is the people. Even though they'll be closed, they'll respond to necessary emergencies.
Still, Boone says the lack of pharmaceutical care on Wednesday highlights how pivotal these independent pharmacies are to the areas around them. If these businesses were to go under, rural communities wouldn't have quality access to community-based care... CONTINUE READING
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