Poster Session 3, 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Room 165 [D16]

The Importance of Independent Pharmacies

Presenter: Alexander Fuster

Faculty Sponsor: Liesl Schwabe

School: Berkshire Community College

Research Area: Business & Economics

ABSTRACT

Most people who live in the United States probably have noticed that their local pharmacy has been replaced by a CVS or other big chain store. The once friendly community store has been replaced by a larger corporation that will often change prices without any notice. Across the United States, the monopolization of pharmacies has quietly reshaped how people access their medications and healthcare services. While most customers will see an average run of the mill retail chain pharmacy, few realize how a handful of corporations have come to dominate nearly every aspect of the prescription drug market. 

In areas like the Berkshires independent pharmacies often provide critical services such as medication counseling, flexible payment options, and delivery to elderly or rural patients who might otherwise struggle to access prescriptions. Independent pharmacies provide customized care to patients with personal attention to detail which big companies don't specialize on. When these smaller pharmacies disappear, communities lose trusted healthcare partners who understand local needs, and patients become dependent on the massive corporations that can raise prices. The elimination of independent pharmacies is a serious threat to the future of healthcare and local economies in the United States. It not only harms consumers but also weakens small business ownership, reduces employment opportunities, and damages the personal connections that are crucial to effective healthcare. Using real world observations and personal experience, the presentation will highlight the economic and social consequences of pharmacy closures and explain why independent pharmacies are essential to maintaining quality healthcare.

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