“This store means the world to this community,” said owner and pharmacist Marian McElwain. “Our customers are extremely loyal. They love us. They love the personal feeling they get, the attention they get.”
But like many people Independent drug storeshe needs a shot of hope.
Across the U.S., at least 7,000 pharmacies have closed since 2019. The Associated Press reported.Of those, nearly half were independent drug stores, citing data from the University of Pittsburgh.
“We’ve had to make some adjustments, make some changes. We’ve had to cut some hours, just do whatever it takes to survive and keep the doors open,” McElwain said, “There were a lot of sleepless nights. are ”
Even big pharmacy chains are not immune. WalgreensFor example, it lost $8 billion in the last fiscal year, according to the company.
says Clemson University professor Lori Trudel. Pharmacy Desert America has become a crisis.
“When you think about the thousands of pharmacies in rural communities that are closing, you’re losing access to all health care,” Trudle said.
Behind McElwain’s store, the pharmacy itself, profit margins have fallen to between 3% and 5%.
“Especially expensive brand-name drugs, we fill them and those drugs may not even be reimbursed at our cost,” McElwain said.
The National Community Pharmacists Association predicts that in 2024, an average of more than one independent drug store will close per day.
“It’s sad to me that that part of America, that part of the business, will go away. We’re not going to throw in the towel. We’re, we’re in it for the long haul,” McElwain said.