HOUSTON, Mo. (KY3) – Hutcheson Pharmacy in Houston, Mo., is closing its doors, and another pharmacy in town says it is preparing for more customers.
Pharmacy leaders say the closure comes as Missouri has lost hundreds of small community pharmacies over the last two decades.
Jeremy Rinne, owner of Forbes Pharmacy in Houston, said, “Pharmacy is one of your leading providers, so to see pharmacies close is never a good thing.”
Forbes Pharmacy prepares for new patients
As Hutcheson Pharmacy prepares to close, patients need somewhere else to go. Rinne said he is already welcoming them.
Rinne said, “We’ve seen an influx of people; you know there’s just two pharmacies over there now so people have the choice between us at Forbes Pharmacy as the independent or going to Walmart.”
Hospital cites budget, staffing in closure decision
In a statement on its website, Texas County Memorial Hospital said manufacturing restrictions, staffing shortages and changing patient use led to the decision, while the pharmacy was also operating above budget.
Texas County Memorial Hospital CEO Bill Bridges said closing the pharmacy will allow the hospital to redirect money to other healthcare services.
Statewide decline in small pharmacies
Missouri has seen a broader decline in small pharmacies.
Ron Fitzwater, CEO of the Missouri Pharmacy Association, said, “We’ve lost over 200 small community pharmacies since I’ve been here, so in the last 24 years. We had a little over 600, and now we’re down below 400.”
Fitzwater blames much of that decline on Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs. He said these middlemen manage prescription plans, but often reimburse local pharmacies less than what the drugs actually cost.
Fitzwater said, “Sometimes in the networks that they sign into, they’re forced to take scripts that they know they’re not going to get reimbursed even the cost of the drug, much less their professional fee.”
Association pushes for PBM regulation
The Missouri Pharmacy Association is pushing state lawmakers for stronger regulation of PBMs.
For those affected by Hutcheson’s closure, Rinne said his focus now is making the transition as smooth as possible.
Hutcheson Pharmacy will officially close on Friday, August 21. Texas County Memorial Hospital said patients with active prescriptions are getting help transferring their medicine to any pharmacy they choose.
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