After reading the article “Bitter pill: Customers lament loss of small-town pharmacies as reimbursement formulas become unsustainable” (Feb. 21, TribLive), it is unclear to me how a shadowy alliance of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), drug manufacturers and insurance providers can force the closure of many local pharmacies. Is this even legal?
What is clear to me is that many important small Pennsylvania businesses that people rely on are being wiped out financially while our elected officials and state government stand by. I think our governor is too busy planning his future presidential campaign when he signals his allegiance to special interests like public teacher unions and Planned Parenthood by vetoing school choice, defunding crisis pregnancy centers and attacking cyber charter schools.
Instead of just paying lip service to rural Pennsylvanians, perhaps our governor could wake up some state health department bureaucrats who could attempt to stop this destruction of Pennsylvania pharmacies.
Ken Kretschman
Crafton