MOLINE, Ill. — Local pharmacies big and small are struggling to keep their doors open.
Within the Quad Cities, four Walgreens pharmacies are set to temporarily close:
- 3601 16th Street in Moline
- 3100 11th Street in Rock Island
- 805 N Brady St in Davenport
- 301 30th Ave in East Moline
Industry leaders say struggles with staffing and billing issues affect both big-name stores and small independently owned pharmacies.
"That's what we're facing in healthcare right now, especially in pharmacy is that we're having to do a lot more with less," Garth Reynolds from the Illinois Pharmacists Association said.
With fewer pharmacists graduating from schools, pharmacies are having to operate with fewer employees.
"It's at a point right now that we are in a shortage, mainly because of getting qualified individuals and getting people who are wanting to work in healthcare," Reynolds said.
Another major issue is covering the cost of doing business.
"When you walk in to pick up your prescription, the pharmacies purchase that, and when they dispense it, the insurance company reimburses them, and many times they're reimbursed below acquisition cost," Anne Cassity from the National Community Pharmacists Association said.
Another problem is negotiations with pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs.
PBMs act as billing middlemen, helping coordinate payments between the patient, insurance company and pharmacy, and industry leaders say they take more than their fair share.
"The problem is we've seen a decades-long abuse of the entities actually keeping money and stealing it from pharmacies, and stealing taxpayer dollars and keeping it for themselves," Reynolds said.
With pharmacies understaffed and underpaid, Reynolds said employees end up overworked which puts them at higher risk for making a terrible mistake.
"We could actually end up with wrong medication in the bottle and a patient being harmed – and that's the last thing that any pharmacist ever wants to happen," Reynolds said. "We took an oath to protect our patients – not harm our patients."
Illinois and Iowa lawmakers are working on bills to help out pharmacies and patients.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is promoting two bills that aim to lower insulin costs and hold PBMs more accountable.
RELATED: Illinois Sen. Duckworth talks Inflation Reduction act, lower prescription costs in Silvis visit
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