Inman, South Carolina – From medicine to milkshakes, Kempson Rexall Drug Store 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 a lot to this community,” said owner and pharmacist Marian McElveen. “Our customers are extremely loyal. They love us. They love the personal experience they get, the attention they get.”
but like many independent drug storesIt needs a ray of hope.
Across the US, at least 7,000 pharmacies have closed since 2019, The Associated Press reportedCiting data from the University of Pittsburgh. About half of them were independent drug stores.
“We're going to have to make some adjustments, make some changes. We're going to have to cut back on some hours, just do whatever we can to stay alive and keep the doors open,” McElveen said. ,
Even big pharmacy chains are not untouched by this. WalgreensFor example, according to the company, it lost $8 billion in the last fiscal year.
Clemson University professor Lori Trudell says pharmacy desert There is a crisis in America
“When you think about the thousands of pharmacies closing in rural communities, you're all losing access to health care,” Trudell said.
At the pharmacy behind McElveen's store, profit margins have dropped to between 3% and 5%.
“Especially the expensive brand-name medications, we fill them and may not be reimbursed even at our cost for those medications,” McElveen said.
The National Community Pharmacists Association predicts that an average of more than one independent drugstore will close per day in 2024.
McElwain said, “It's sad to me that that part of America, that part of the business, will be gone. We will not give up. We will be in this for the long haul.”
