Pharmacies are closing across Iowa and there are fears more closures may be on the horizon, according to a new study by Drake University professor Michael Andreski. Its findings reveal a disturbing trend showing alarming rates of closures across the state, particularly among independent pharmacies not affiliated with Iowa. major chains. At least 87 of these pharmacies have closed since 2008, forcing more than half of Iowa’s counties to rely on one or two pharmacies to serve areas of up to 974 square miles. “To a single pharmacy, that represents reduced access,” Andreski said. Andreski’s report says that could cause problems for people filling their prescriptions. Fewer nearby options increase the likelihood that people will not follow through They may also turn to drug delivery services that cannot guide patients or monitor their dosage in the same way as filling a prescription in person. Leslie Herron, pharmacist Adel, said she understands why the closures are happening. She struggles to make ends meet at her pharmacy because insurance benefits don’t cover the cost of medications. Independent pharmacies like hers rely on pharmacy benefit managers to be able to purchase insurance, but these companies also decide how much pharmacists receive when they reimburse them. Herron said the payments aren’t enough to cover the cost of the medications, so she loses money filling many common prescriptions and forcing her to rely on other services like vaccinations or screening for common illnesses like streptococcus and flu to maintain its activity. No matter what we charge for a drug, we can charge $1,000 and if they want to pay us five, we have to accept it because we have a contract,” Herron said. “(We’re) not even not reimbursed for the gross cost of the drug, much less putting it in a bottle, putting a label on it, having a highly educated and trained staff to do it, turning on the lights, all the costs. to do business. »
Pharmacies are closing across Iowa, and there are fears that more closures are on the horizon, according to a new study by Drake University professor Michael Andreski.
Its findings reveal a worrying trend showing alarming rates of closures across the state, particularly among independent pharmacies not attached to major chains. At least 87 of these pharmacies have closed since 2008, forcing more than half of Iowa’s counties to rely on one or two pharmacies to serve areas of up to 974 square miles.
“A county is a pretty large area, and when you go to a pharmacy, access is reduced,” Andreski said.
Andreski’s report says this could cause problems for people filling their prescriptions. Fewer nearby options increase the likelihood that people will not follow their prescribed medications. They may also turn to drug delivery services that cannot guide patients or monitor their dosage in the same way as filling a prescription in person.
Leslie Herron, Adel’s pharmacist, said she understands why the closures are happening. She struggles to make ends meet at her pharmacy because insurance benefits don’t cover the cost of medications.
Independent pharmacies like his rely on pharmacy benefit managers to be able to underwrite insurance, but those companies also decide how much pharmacists receive when they reimburse them.
Herron said the payments aren’t enough to cover the cost of the medications, so she loses money filling many common prescriptions and forcing her to rely on other services like vaccinations or screening for common illnesses like streptococcus and flu to maintain its activity.
“No matter what we charge for a drug, we can charge $1,000 and if they want to pay us five, we have to accept it because we have a contract,” Herron said. “(We are) not even reimbursed for the gross cost of the drug, much less putting it in a bottle, putting a label on it, having a highly educated and trained staff to do it, turning on the lights, all the costs of doing business.”
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