Owners of independent pharmacies are concerned that the current health care system will squeeze them out of business. That was the subject of a roundtable in suburban Detroit Monday.
Hundreds of corporation-backed pharmacies, like Rite Aid, have closed in Michigan in the past few years. Independent drug stores have seen similar declines.
Democratic State Senator Kevin Hertel says the issue is that many of the biggest insurers, like United Health Care, also operate the groups that set drug prices and own pharmacies.
“What we're seeing too often is the big corporate guys that are just trying to get as much business as possible in order to maximize that profit. We've got to stop that from happening.”
Hertel says legislation that would give the state of Michigan more bargaining power in setting the price of drugs has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the Republican-controlled House.
