Independent drugstore closures threaten to turn communities into “pharmacy deserts”

Inman, South Carolina — From medicine to milkshakes, Kempson Rexall drugstore has been a staple in the small community of Inman, South Carolina, since 1905. The nearest hospital is about a half-hour drive away, so in a family medical moment, many of the town’s 3,200 residents often call here first.

“This store means the world to this community,” said owner and pharmacist Marianne McElveen. “Our customers are extremely loyal. They love us. They love the personal feel that they get, the attention they get.”

But like many independent drugstores, this one needs a shot of hope.

Across the U.S., at least 7,000 pharmacies have closed since 2019, The Associated Press reported, citing data from the University of Pittsburgh. Of those, roughly half were independent drugstores.

“We’ve had to make some adjustments, some changes. We’ve had to cut some hours, just doing anything we can to stay alive and to keep the doors open,” McElveen said, adding that “there have been many sleepless nights.”

Big pharmacy chains aren’t immune either. Walgreens, for example, reported an $8 billion loss last fiscal year, according to the company.

Lori Trudell, a professor at Clemson University, says pharmacy deserts have become a crisis in the U.S.

“When you think about the thousands of pharmacies in rural communities that are closing, you’re losing access to all healthcare,” Trudell said.

In the back of McElveen’s store, the pharmacy itself, profit margins have fallen to between 3% and 5%.

“Especially expensive brand name medications, we fill those and may not be reimbursed even at our cost for those drugs,” McElveen said.

The National Community Pharmacists Association predicted that an average of more than one independent drugstore would close per day in 2024.

“It’s sad to me that that part of America, that part of business, would go away. We’re not gonna throw in the towel. we’re, we’re in it for the long haul,” McElveen said.