Pharmacy deserts
The number of pharmacies in West Virginia is shrinking. As communities become “pharmacy deserts,” people find they have fewer options for obtaining the medicines they need.
It’s a problem common to many industries, including groceries, banking and health care. Consolidation brings fewer options, and the options that are available often don’t work in favor of the consumer.
The concept of the corner drug store operated by a local pharmacist is all but dead. The distribution of medications has been taken over by chains, mail order providers and others who are farther removed from the individual patient. …
A pharmacy desert in an urban area occurs when the area is more than one mile away from a pharmacy. In a rural area, it’s when the area is at least 10 miles from a pharmacy, according to Thomas Pile, clinical assistant professor in Marshall’s School of Pharmacy.
Pile said West Virginia has 11 regions that have been identified as pharmacy deserts when going by the rural definition, and those regions are primarily in the northern part of the state. They exist in the southern part of the state, also.
Late last year, Gov. Jim Justice asked Walgreens to reconsider its decision to close its store in the Tucker County town of Parsons. It was a logical request, considering what losing the store means to that community of about 1,322 people.
Tucker County’s population is about 6,672. Neither the town of Parsons nor Tucker County registers as important to the nation’s second-largest pharmacy chain, but the store’s presence is important to the people of the town and the county.
It’s the same in this area, where demographic trends and industry consolidation has led to fewer pharmacies.
Part of the problem lies in the power of pharmacy benefit managers — middlemen who manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers. Pile told Richardson pharmacy benefit managers are being looked at on a federal level and at the state level.
“It’s something that needs to be regulated in order for pharmacies to remain viable, especially in our state, where we’re struggling,” Pile said.
“What we’re seeing really is pharmacies are getting paid less. Patients are … paying more for prescription drugs,” Pile said. “So, where is the discrepancy here? Where is the money going? And it’s the pharmacy benefit manager, the person who’s sort of wedged in the middle of a transaction.”
So what’s the answer? The ideal solution is a customer-centered plan that gets prescription medication to the consumer in the most convenient manner at the lowest price that provides an adequate and reasonable profit for all involved. This requires a variety of delivery methods. Some people prefer to have their medicines delivered to their doors. Others prefer face-to-face contact with their pharmacist or pharmacist technician.
It’s a complicated problem, and the solution won’t be easy. At some point, consolidation works against consumers. That’s why we have anti-monopoly laws. From food deserts to pharmacy deserts, steps must be taken to bring vital services closer to the people they serve.
As has been noted here before, if the governor and others want pharmacies, food stores and similar businesses in smaller communities, they must create the business, legal and regulatory environments to support them.