Lexington independent pharmacy closes doors after 31 years
A longtime independent Lexington pharmacy closed its doors in February.
The Pharmacy Shop on Southland Drive closed Feb. 10, according to a sign on its door and a voice mail message.
The pharmacy had been in business for 31 years.
“We sincerely thank you for 31 years serving our community and especially you, our patient,” read a note on the door.
Calls to officials with the Pharmacy Shop were not immediately returned. A voice mail message on the pharmacy’s prior phone number said prescriptions would be transferred to other pharmacies. The Pharmacy Shop’s Facebook page last post was on Thanksgiving.
It’s not clear why the Pharmacy Shop shuttered.
But smaller, independent pharmacies in Kentucky have struggled in recent years due to low and complex reimbursement rates by pharmacy benefit managers, commonly called PBMs, which act as middle men between insurers, drug companies and pharmacies. The way those PBMs reimburse pharmacies has created financial havoc for independent pharmacies.
In 2023, 67 pharmacies, including nine in Pulaski County alone, closed their doors, according to a January 2024 Lexington Herald-Leader story.
