SNOW HILL, Md. – For many residents in Snow Hill, the local pharmacy is more than a place to pick up prescriptions — it's a lifeline, especially for the town's older population. Now, some worry that the lifeline is at risk.
Snow Hill Pharmacy, the only pharmacy in town, is cutting back its hours starting in August. Owner Jeff Sherr said the change comes after the pharmacy lost its 27-year contract to provide medication to the Worcester County Jail. The county ended that agreement in December in favor of a different medical provider, CFG Health.
Now some folks say they are worried these changes may lead to the pharmacy closing.
"Well, if it's gone, we don't know what we're gonna do," said local John Kulp. "We've had to go to a local Salisbury to get any drugs at all. So this, this, this was very important for you to stay open up here."
Sherr told WBOC that the pharmacy opened back in 1999, when the town was losing their Rite Aid. At that time, the current warden at the jail approached the business, saying that they would service the jail, just as the previous pharmacy did.
Snow Hill Pharmacy and the Worcester County Jail had a handshake agreement. But when the pharmacy called the county’s old medical provider of the jail – Wellpath – they informed the pharmacy that they would no longer be serving the jail.
Sherr said he found out about the change only after the pharmacy contacted Wellpath to schedule a routine inspection — not through any formal notice from the county.
"I feel like I got punched in the gut," Sherr said. "I mean, I think that when you provide service and care about the people, for 27 years, it just seems like that's not the best of ways to do it."
Worcester County says it made "every reasonable effort" to keep Snow Hill Pharmacy involved, and that medication costs are now included in the new provider's operating expenses.
At a work session on Tuesday, Weston Young – Chief Administrative Officer for Worcester County emphasized that he was not aware the change was hurting the pharmacy until Jeff contacted him. After that, Young says he then spoke with commissioners and tried to preserve the agreement.
"We attempted to fix it. Just want to say there were good faith efforts by the county to try to make this work," said county representative Weston Young.
Sherr said the county's decision seemed to overlook the townspeople's needs in an effort to focus on the inmates at the jail.
Sherr added that even though the pharmacy was losing revenue last year, he says his commitment to staying open proves how important the pharmacy is to Snow Hill residents.
“Easiest thing for me to do would be to close the store, transfer the medications up here, transfer the staff up here and move on. But, last year we lost almost $13,000. But again, it goes back to the commitment that I've made to the people [of] Snow Hill to try to keep the store open, you know, but I need help.”
People in the town are signing a petition to support the pharmacy. Jennifer Burke, who’s lived in Snow Hill her whole life, signed the petition on Friday.
“Every town needs a pharmacy, regardless of if you're a big town or a small town, but especially small towns, because people are very limited in transportation. We have a lot of elderly folks that this is maybe the only pharmacy they have an option to get to, and so it needs to be made available to them,” said Burke.
Pat Pruitt, 71, said the pharmacy has long saved residents from having to drive to neighboring towns.
"It saves older people having to travel to Pocomoke or Berlin or Salisbury just to get medication," Pruitt said. "And I'm not old, I'm 71 and I don't want to have to drive. This little place, it's been a wonderful place."
Despite the setback, Sherr said he's hopeful the county will reconsider and bring the pharmacy back into the jail's medical care plan.
"How can we keep the jail service properly and be able to have a pharmacy that's accessible to the patient?" he said. "The people of Snow Hill, that's really all. Everything else is a bell and a whistle."
Beginning Aug. 1, the pharmacy's reduced hours will include closures on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
