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| Economy |
| Death of rural pharmacies across US leaves millions without a place to get medicine |
| 2022-08-10 |
| [Washington Examiner] Millions of people in America are receiving healthcare that rivals Third World standards. Vast regions of the country have seen medical services evaporate over the past decade. Hospitals have closed, doctors have left, and pharmacies have been forced into bankruptcy. In this series, Dried Up: America's Medical Deserts, the Washington Examiner will investigate what happened to these now-barren terrains. Without adequate access to a hospital, a primary care center, an OB-GYN, or other specialized medical services, the health of an estimated 30 million people is put in jeopardy. When Julie Perkins bought Batson's Drug Store in 1995, business was booming. "Back then, pharmacy was an easy way to make money," she told the Washington Examiner. "It was easy to stay in business. I didn't have to stay awake at night figuring out how I was going to make payroll each week. It was easy before there were pharmacy benefit managers in the middle. You could make a decent living." Now, it's not so easy. Batson's is the last pharmacy standing in Elk County, Kansas, a rural area with a population hovering around the 2,500 mark. The county has no hospital and only a couple of primary care doctors. Most of Perkins's customers are retired or nearing it and rely on Medicare. The nearest big-chain pharmacies, Walmart and Walgreens, are 45 miles away. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #2 Access to pharmacies doesn't seem to be an issue for the Amish. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2022-08-10 12:48 |
| #1 All small businesses in rural areas are dying. You are actually supposed to purchase your Chinese made meds here. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2022-08-10 10:20 |