May 28, 2004 -- Posted at 4:08 p.m. CDT
JONESBORO -- It's no secret that being sick can be expensive. With the cost of drugs rising everyday and super-sized chain pharmacies building more and more stores, small pharmacies have a lot to worry about. Are independent pharmacies a dying breed? Small drug store owners have to be competitive if they want to stay in business. By offering personal service and low prices, Ken Gibson says his pharmacy has been able to compete with the larger chains.
The threat to the smaller pharmacies may not be the big super sized chains. In fact it could be the new Medicare discount card. Pharmacies, whether small or large are required to pay a portion of the costs of the new program. With greater reliance on drug sales and narrow markups, small pharmacies may find it harder to turn a profit.