For the second year in a row, our independent pharmacy has won the Chronogram Magazine Readers Choice Awards!
Neal Smoller – Public Health Advocate
Village Apothecary – Pharmacy
It truly is because of you all: we asked, you voted. THANK YOU!
In This Article:
- Pharmacy Benefit Managers Reimbursing Below Cost
- Trump Administration Impact on Independent Pharmacies
Pharmacy Benefit Managers Reimbursing Below Cost
I have a couple bits of media to share:
Radio Catskill interviewed me about PBMs. This is a longer interview and gets into the details and emotions of it all. Here’s an overview:
Independent pharmacies across the Hudson Valley are struggling financially due to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that reimburse them below cost while taking 30-40% of Medicare dollars for themselves.
Village Apothecary in Woodstock has lost over $130,000 and may stop filling certain prescriptions, including expensive GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic. Owner and pharmacist Neal Smoller describes PBMs as monopolistic middlemen who favor their own pharmacy chains through anti-competitive practices.
Despite providing 70,000 COVID vaccines and strong community support, local pharmacies face choosing between economic survival and patient care in underserved rural areas.
Trump Administration Impact on Independent Pharmacies
Indivisible Ulster asked me how the Trump Administration will impact me, my business, and my patients. They have a series of videos of my answers on their YouTube page. There are a bunch of videos in the playlist, so make sure you watch them all.
Neal Smoller, PharmD
Neal is the founder and holistic pharmacist of Village Apothecary in Woodstock, NY. Established in 2010, the independent pharmacy offers a number of modern services like prescription syncing, vaccines, and home delivery, while maintaining an emphasis on natural products and wellness.
Faced with a deeply flawed supplement industry that puts company sales over customer safety and results, Neal established Woodstock Vitamins to meet his high standards for ingredient quality, dosage, ethical sourcing, and bioavailability.
