I was a pharmacist in multiple small towns for over 50 years. Even owned a small pharmacy. All of these are parts of the problem with each trying to get a bigger bite of the profits. Perhaps if more real transparency to all with fair mark-ups for each all could survive. Mail order is now also a big part of this equation too.
Yep! I have a friend who is expanding his pharm business as an independent, but he is great at knowing his customers needs. He offers other items that help attract customers. My local, small town pharmacy caries gift items, hardware, kitchenware, and gardening supplies and nothing stays on the shelves very long because they have limited inventory. They discount stuff that moves a little slower, so people see new items coming in all the time. Regulation of the pharmacy industry, like everything else, favors the big companies like Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. I should also include Insurance companies who have their mail order operations. Again, government puts its thumb on the scale for big insurance too!
I am a pharmacist. Please also remember because of these razor thin reimbursements we are constantly understaffed and working very hard to try to serve you.
Absolutely, and thank you for everything you do. People don’t always realize that it’s not just about pharmacy closures—it’s about the pharmacists who are still there, working longer hours with fewer resources to keep up with demand. Low reimbursements don’t just push pharmacies out of business; they stretch the ones that remain to the breaking point.
Patients feel the frustration of longer wait times, but pharmacists like you are the ones carrying that burden every day. We need solutions that don’t just keep pharmacies open but also make sure they’re staffed and supported enough to actually serve the community. Appreciate you sharing your perspective!
I see how hard your working. Such a effort to communicate. Informed citizens make better decisions. It's critical to breakthrough the false narratives of the liberal leftist. But it's very time consuming. THANK YOU.
I agree with your points. I put off a hip replacement because I have no confidence in any hospital. I also am not going to be using dirty blood from vaxxers putting prions in my system. The Red Cross should never have mixed blood. Should never have allowed dirty blood.
I was a EMT for awhile. It used to be as you say, safe to go when you needed to. Not anymore.
Recently locally, The Dalkes patients report no vitals even taken. But they put fake ones in the chart. Dangerous and wrong
Thank you...in a couple weeks it will get alot better. The enemy will be getting defeated
I understand your frustration. Many more people are seeing clearly now that we saw how the pandemic was so mismanaged. It is a risk vs potential benefits issue now, and going to the hospital has risks! The family joke is the ‘hospital is where people go to die.’ I really think that independent urgent care clinics and private outpatient surgical units are safer and more efficient. It depends on the doctor too.
I suppose if you drank bleach as President Trump advised, you’d need not complain as you’d likely be dead. Don’t hold your breath for things to get better as I’m sure you know RFK Jr has it all figured out, being the best of the best after all.
Barr, you seem a bit triggered. Did you forget that most municipal water services use chlorine to kill pathogens? BTW, you are spreading lies saying that Trump suggested people drink bleach, but I think you know that. Go back to Facebook where people enjoy reading rumors and lies.
What "gets my heart racing" is government officials who describe the problem but make no effort to create a solution. For decades—from the federal to the state level—politicians skirt the problem, wishing to offend no one who might be a contributor. America needs to join every other advanced economy and adopt a single-payer Medicare-for-All system. Right now, the for-profit system is geared to make money by treating people and medicating them instead of making them well.
That’s exactly why I’m not just griping—I’m working on HB 2385, which stops drug manufacturers from playing gatekeeper with 340B meds, and an amendment to HB 2057 to create a clearinghouse that actually makes sure those drugs are correctly identified and paid for.
Look, the national healthcare debate isn’t getting settled anytime soon, but while Washington does its usual song and dance, we’ve got real problems to fix here in Oregon—making meds more affordable, keeping hospitals from shuttering, and making sure pharmacies don’t become a thing of the past.
Cyrus, you’re really good at pointing out how broken our system of government, with its checks and balances, is, but seemingly very little on how to fix things. What bills have you authored or co-authored?
Fair point—I don’t just want to highlight problems, I want to help fix them. That’s why I’ve sponsored HB 2385, which would stop drug manufacturers from making it harder for pharmacies to access 340B medications. I’m also working on an amendment to HB 2057 that would create a clearinghouse to ensure 340B claims are correctly identified and paid, reducing confusion and making sure hospitals and pharmacies get the reimbursements they’re entitled to without unnecessary restrictions.
Beyond these bills, I’m also pushing for more transparency in drug pricing, better Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for providers, and ways to ensure that savings actually reach patients—like offering direct discounts or coupons for those with no insurance or high deductibles.
Fixing the system isn’t easy, but these steps would help ensure people can get the medications they need—without losing their local pharmacy or seeing their hospital cut services. I’m always open to ideas—what solutions do you think would make the biggest impact?
I was a pharmacist in multiple small towns for over 50 years. Even owned a small pharmacy. All of these are parts of the problem with each trying to get a bigger bite of the profits. Perhaps if more real transparency to all with fair mark-ups for each all could survive. Mail order is now also a big part of this equation too.
Yep! I have a friend who is expanding his pharm business as an independent, but he is great at knowing his customers needs. He offers other items that help attract customers. My local, small town pharmacy caries gift items, hardware, kitchenware, and gardening supplies and nothing stays on the shelves very long because they have limited inventory. They discount stuff that moves a little slower, so people see new items coming in all the time. Regulation of the pharmacy industry, like everything else, favors the big companies like Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. I should also include Insurance companies who have their mail order operations. Again, government puts its thumb on the scale for big insurance too!
I am a pharmacist. Please also remember because of these razor thin reimbursements we are constantly understaffed and working very hard to try to serve you.
Absolutely, and thank you for everything you do. People don’t always realize that it’s not just about pharmacy closures—it’s about the pharmacists who are still there, working longer hours with fewer resources to keep up with demand. Low reimbursements don’t just push pharmacies out of business; they stretch the ones that remain to the breaking point.
Patients feel the frustration of longer wait times, but pharmacists like you are the ones carrying that burden every day. We need solutions that don’t just keep pharmacies open but also make sure they’re staffed and supported enough to actually serve the community. Appreciate you sharing your perspective!
I see how hard your working. Such a effort to communicate. Informed citizens make better decisions. It's critical to breakthrough the false narratives of the liberal leftist. But it's very time consuming. THANK YOU.
I agree with your points. I put off a hip replacement because I have no confidence in any hospital. I also am not going to be using dirty blood from vaxxers putting prions in my system. The Red Cross should never have mixed blood. Should never have allowed dirty blood.
I was a EMT for awhile. It used to be as you say, safe to go when you needed to. Not anymore.
Recently locally, The Dalkes patients report no vitals even taken. But they put fake ones in the chart. Dangerous and wrong
Thank you...in a couple weeks it will get alot better. The enemy will be getting defeated
Liz Turner
I understand your frustration. Many more people are seeing clearly now that we saw how the pandemic was so mismanaged. It is a risk vs potential benefits issue now, and going to the hospital has risks! The family joke is the ‘hospital is where people go to die.’ I really think that independent urgent care clinics and private outpatient surgical units are safer and more efficient. It depends on the doctor too.
I suppose if you drank bleach as President Trump advised, you’d need not complain as you’d likely be dead. Don’t hold your breath for things to get better as I’m sure you know RFK Jr has it all figured out, being the best of the best after all.
Barr, you seem a bit triggered. Did you forget that most municipal water services use chlorine to kill pathogens? BTW, you are spreading lies saying that Trump suggested people drink bleach, but I think you know that. Go back to Facebook where people enjoy reading rumors and lies.
What "gets my heart racing" is government officials who describe the problem but make no effort to create a solution. For decades—from the federal to the state level—politicians skirt the problem, wishing to offend no one who might be a contributor. America needs to join every other advanced economy and adopt a single-payer Medicare-for-All system. Right now, the for-profit system is geared to make money by treating people and medicating them instead of making them well.
That’s exactly why I’m not just griping—I’m working on HB 2385, which stops drug manufacturers from playing gatekeeper with 340B meds, and an amendment to HB 2057 to create a clearinghouse that actually makes sure those drugs are correctly identified and paid for.
Look, the national healthcare debate isn’t getting settled anytime soon, but while Washington does its usual song and dance, we’ve got real problems to fix here in Oregon—making meds more affordable, keeping hospitals from shuttering, and making sure pharmacies don’t become a thing of the past.
Cyrus, you’re really good at pointing out how broken our system of government, with its checks and balances, is, but seemingly very little on how to fix things. What bills have you authored or co-authored?
Fair point—I don’t just want to highlight problems, I want to help fix them. That’s why I’ve sponsored HB 2385, which would stop drug manufacturers from making it harder for pharmacies to access 340B medications. I’m also working on an amendment to HB 2057 that would create a clearinghouse to ensure 340B claims are correctly identified and paid, reducing confusion and making sure hospitals and pharmacies get the reimbursements they’re entitled to without unnecessary restrictions.
Beyond these bills, I’m also pushing for more transparency in drug pricing, better Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for providers, and ways to ensure that savings actually reach patients—like offering direct discounts or coupons for those with no insurance or high deductibles.
Fixing the system isn’t easy, but these steps would help ensure people can get the medications they need—without losing their local pharmacy or seeing their hospital cut services. I’m always open to ideas—what solutions do you think would make the biggest impact?