Camilla Hancock fills a prescription at Basin Pharmacy in Basin, Wyo., on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. “We’ve definitely tried to do everything we can to run lean to find other options to try and make money to keep our doors open so we can continue to serve patients,” Hancock says. “But when you’re working so hard and you’re trying your darndest to accomplish these things, and you just kind of get kicked in the gut over and over, it’s really disheartening.” (AP Photo/Mike Clark)
June 9, 2024
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Rural pharmacies fill a health care gap in the US. Owners say it's getting harder to stay open
Rural pharmacies can be a touchstone for their communities. The staff knows everyone's names and drugs, answers questions about residents' mail-order prescriptions or can spot the signs of serious illness. But their business models face unrelenting pressures to the point that sometimes they have to close.