I am reposting this particular post from back in June after reading a couple articles recently regarding the slower and lower medicaid reimbursements to local pharmacies that are driving them out of business and crippling legislation around the corner.You can read one such article if you click on the post title. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this particular issue so please leave a message.
Is there room for the little any more? I was driving around my town the other day and I happened to notice a little drug store called Mel's Pharmacy. I thought wow that is great the little guy is holding out against the big chains like Target, Walgreens, CVS. Mel actually has two stores in our town and has been there since I can remember. What is it that is keeping these little guys in open. I have my theories, like here in my town people like going to same people they have been dealing with for as long as they can remember their children like to do the same, same doctors, same mechanics and same barbers, heck I followed my barber out twenty miles when he moved because he had cut my hair since I was a child now that I don't have much hair I have moved on. They all provide the same services so what is it about these little guys, and by the way I do not live in small, I am 10 or so miles outside a large east coast city and there are 3 large chain drug stores within three miles of mel's. I would like every ones thoughts on this!
A blog for all Pharmacists to discuss the daily challenges facing them in their pharmacy career search. This blog focuses on giving current information on the ever changing landscape of pharmacy and also providing insight into education, job search, salary, salary negotiation, interview, job preparation, career development and career satisfaction.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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It is certainly great that there are still some little guys holding out. The one able to do so probably own their own real estate. Not having to worry about lease payments greatly decreases overhead.
ReplyDeleteThe key reason that there aren't many little guys left is that this countries legislation doesn't make any serious attempt to protect small business. In fact the truth is usually the opposite: i.e. the laws favor the big chains. There are some countries which actually attempt to protect small business. For example in Austria pharmacy chains are prohibited: one pharmacist one pharmacy. You also won't see pharmacies in every grocery store and discount warehouse in Austria. Germany is similar. In Germany a single pharmacist can own not more than 4 pharmacies, that is their way of prohibiting chains.