The Impact of Closures, PBM Reform on Community Pharmacy

Although recent pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform set into motion a new outlook for pharmacy businesses at the beginning of 2026, many systemic issues continue to force pharmacies to close their doors, increasing the volume at those that are still standing.

“Maybe [patients whose community pharmacy has closed] have a regional supermarket that they could patronize. I do my grocery shopping at one of them, and I could tell that the pharmacy is just not equipped for the volume they’re handling,” Tom DePietro, PharmD, owner of DePietro’s Pharmacy in Pennsylvania, told Drug Topics®. “It’s a small grocery pharmacy. Generally, when I'm popping in to just grab groceries, there are at least 12 people in line, and there’s one cashier, one pharmacist, and one technician.”

According to DePietro, now is one of the most exciting times to be operating in the community and retail pharmacy spaces because of the unprecedented reform being discussed in a variety of health care and legislative environments.

However, as much of the reform already announced this year will not go into effect until years down the line, the challenge in addressing community pharmacy closures remains. With a constant flow of evolution in pharmacy today, patients are increasingly receiving their medications and clinical pharmacist advice through nontraditional and digital avenues.

From mail-order and grocery store pharmacies taking the load from independent closures to pharmacies like DePietro’s that must strategically manage the uptake of new patients, he explores some of the nuances between where the pharmacy industry is headed and what its reality is at this very moment.

“The people have to get their prescriptions somewhere, and the more barriers that you put in the way, the less likely they are to take the medication; the less likely they are to have a better outcome,” concluded DePietro.

Listen through the full video and stay tuned for more of his perspectives throughout the week.

READ MORE: The Pharmacy Rewards Program Improving Outcomes Through Key Partnerships

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