Lewistown Sentinel: Mifflin County at risk of losing access to pharmacies

By Jennifer Riley, Patients Come First Pennsylvania’s Executive Director

Mifflin County is facing a growing health care challenge that cannot be ignored. Pharmacies, the most accessible health resource for many residents, are vanishing at an alarming rate. Since 2020, more than 800 pharmacies have closed across Pennsylvania, and counties like Mifflin are at the most significant risk of losing local access altogether. For communities that rely on small, independent pharmacies for prescriptions, vaccines, and health advice, every closure deepens the divide between those who can get care and those who cannot.

Mifflin County has one of the highest rates of diabetes in Pennsylvania, affecting nearly 14% of adults, well above the state average. Managing this chronic disease requires regular medication, blood sugar monitoring, and ongoing communication with pharmacists. When the nearest pharmacy is miles away, even routine care becomes a hardship. On top of that, nearly 13% of residents are uninsured, and many live on limited incomes, making travel for basic medications both costly and time-consuming.

According to the PA Pharmacists Association, a major driver of these closures is the role of pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen that control how pharmacies are reimbursed. Many independent pharmacists report that benefit manager payments fail to cover their costs, forcing them to fill prescriptions at a loss until they can no longer afford to operate. This practice has already pushed dozens of pharmacies out of business in central Pennsylvania, leaving large areas underserved.

Read the full LTE in the Lewistown Sentinel here.