BOSTON — Kornfield Drug, a longstanding pharmacy in Roxbury near Boston Medical Center, is facing an uncertain future.
The pharmacy, operated by Uche Egesionu after his father’s death, has been a staple in the community for over three decades. However, it is currently experiencing financial difficulties due to reimbursement issues, which have led to bare shelves and challenges in paying staff.
“My family has been footing the financial burden this entire time,” said Uche Egesionu, the owner of Kornfield Drug. “Anything that can’t be covered, my mother reaches into her retirement, pulls it right out.”
The pharmacy operates on a reimbursement model, where medications are filled upfront and payments are received later. This has resulted in financial strain, as many medications are filled at a loss, leaving insufficient capital to restock shelves.
Nkaja Opara, a long-time pharmacist at Kornfield Drug, expressed concern about the store’s ability to pay staff.
“I do worry how are they going to be able to pay me as a pharmacist,” Opara said. “We want to stay open because we want to stay and take care of our customers, so we are not closing.”
The community heavily relies on Kornfield Drug, as many customers do not have cars and the nearest chain drug store is over a mile away.
Stephanie Thomas, a customer, emphasized the importance of the pharmacy, stating, “If this place closed down it’ll be like the twilight zone... people are not going to be able to get there because they’re elderly.”
Community members have expressed a desire for more notice regarding potential pharmacy closures, advocating for a 90-day notice period instead of the current 14 days.
The pharmacy is in discussions with the city to secure funding and has also set up a GoFundMe campaign to help keep its doors open.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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