TOLEDO, Ohio — It's been nearly a month since the closing of the Rite Aid pharmacy in Point Place, amongst others, as the company recently filed for bankruptcy.
Ever since the location has been closed, city leaders said the search for a replacement hasn't been easy.
"We're in the process of trying to find more tenants for that location," Theresa Morris, who represents Point Place on Toledo City Council said.
She said another pharmacy is the best option for that place.
"It really did work well as a pharmacy because a lot of people in the back of the Point and along Summit Street really were isolated when it came down to having a pharmacy," Morris said.
Yet she said the city has had no luck.
"Walgreens, we did not hear back from," Morris said. "But we did meet with CVS and they unfortunately said that they were not going to add it into their portfolio at this time."
And the struggle isn't only in finding a replacement pharmacy for the neighborhood. Mike Calabrese, a local pharmacist at Erie Drug, said since the Rite Aid locations closed, he's noticed other pharmacists in the industry looking for work.
"There seems to be an abundance of pharmacists right now that have been displaced by their companies downsizing," Calabrese said. "So now what we're finding is there is a shortage of pharmacies. There's no places to go."
Calabrese said he's not looking to expand his store at this time due to reimbursement levels at the federal level.
"The bottom line is there are some insurance plans that are paying pharmacies below their cost on medications so it's hard to do a startup and get in there," Calabrese said. "It's a tough time to be opening a pharmacy at this point."
Dr. Megan Kaun is the director of experiential education and works in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Toledo. Kaun explained that while there is not a shortage of pharmacists, that time could come soon.
Kaun released the following statement:
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is not currently a shortage of pharmacists but one may be anticipated in the future. Enrollment in pharmacy schools has decreased over the last five to seven years. As we graduate fewer pharmacists, we will start to see more of a shortage situation. The University of Toledo currently has about 338 students enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. That is down from about 430 students eight to 10 years ago. There are several reasons for this possible future shortage. Community pharmacies have been under tremendous pressure for quite a few years. This results in higher numbers of pharmacists leaving the profession for other jobs and also in fewer people choosing pharmacy as a career path. There are a few things contributing to that:
- The opioid epidemic created situations where addicted individuals are pressuring pharmacists for access to drugs
- Pharmacies are responsible for administering the majority of vaccines in the US. The most pressure comes from flu vaccines and COVID vaccines. Administering vaccines is usually placed on top of the normal work of the pharmacy creating lots of pressure on the pharmacy staff.
- There is definitely a national shortage of pharmacy technicians. These essential personnel are required to make pharmacies run efficiently.
- Many people have come to think of how they get their drugs similar to how they access fast food. They expect it to be ready very quickly, available around the clock and through a drive through. If these criteria are not met, some people can behave poorly when interacting with pharmacy staff. [This] creates feelings of disrespect.