WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — Colorado's independent and rural pharmacies are struggling to stay afloat. While a new state law aims to help, it won't provide relief until 2026, leaving pharmacies scrambling to find short-term solutions.
Jenna Eccles, the pharmacy manager of Wheat Ridge Professional Pharmacy, told Scripps News Denver Investigates the 70-year-old family-owned business is hanging by a thread, often forced to fill prescriptions at a loss. She showed how the pharmacy paid $698 for a name-brand prescription, but was only reimbursed $608 by insurance.
"We lost [about]$89 on one bottle, for one month," Eccles said. "And we can't take that loss. We're not surviving. That's the problem."
Eccles blames pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies.
According to two recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports, PBMs have been linked to "inflating drug costs and squeezing main street pharmacies."
Longtime customer Bill Hare said he can no longer fill two of his family's prescriptions at the Wheat Ridge pharmacy because the reimbursement rates would cause the pharmacy to lose hundreds of dollars.
"I have to go to [another pharmacy] for those. It's just ridiculous," Hare said.
Hare believes the federal government needs to do more to regulate PBMs.
"At the very least, make it a level playing field," he said.
Last month, Colorado passed House Bill 25-1222 to protect rural and independent pharmacies by requiring PBMs to reimburse them at a fair rate plus a dispensing fee. However, the law doesn't take effect until January 2026, leaving pharmacies searching for short-term solutions.
Meanwhile, the pharmacy has shortened hours and offers services like strep tests and treatment. Some pharmacists have even donated their time at work every month.
"There is hope on the horizon, and we want nothing more than to make it to the other side," DiLorenzo said.
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