In February 2019, the town of Albion, Ind. — population 2,500 — welcomed its first pharmacy in more than a decade. The Pill Box Pharmacy opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a plaque to commemorate a special milestone: It would be the state’s first telepharmacy.
Behind the counter, a pharmacy technician would beam orders and snapshots of pills to a licensed pharmacist somewhere offsite for review before doling out medications to Albion residents. It’s a high-tech solution to the pharmacy deserts that leave many in rural communities driving long distances to get much-needed medications. “Just to be in business, you have to generate $25,000 a month in income to meet your expenses,” said John Morr, who as a councilman advocated for three years to get the business set up in his town. “That’s literally impossible in a town of 2,500 people.” By sharing the cost of a single pharmacist’s salary, the idea goes, more storefronts could stay open.
But barely two years after opening, the Pill Box had shut down, and owner Greg Winn was handing back his plaque. The town’s largely aging population was disappointed to lose their pharmacy so quickly, said Morr — including his mother, who had transferred all her prescriptions, even when they cost more, to support the local business.
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