Rural pharmacies fill a health care gap in the US. Owners say it's getting harder to stay open thebusinessjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thebusinessjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Rural pharmacies can be a touchstone for their communities. The staff knows everyone's names and drugs, answers questions about residents' mail-order prescriptions or can spot the signs of serious illness. But their business models face unrelenting pressures to the point that sometimes they have to close. An AP analysis of data from 49 states and the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs shows that several largely rural states have some of the lowest number of pharmacies per ZIP code.
Rural pharmacies can be a touchstone for their communities. The staff knows everyone’s names and drugs, answers questions about residents’ mail-order prescriptions or can spot the signs of serious illness.
Basin Pharmacy fills more than prescriptions in rural northern Wyoming. It’s also the key health care access point for the town of about 1,300 people and the surrounding area.