Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - As those who went to Rite Aid scramble to find a new pharmacy, one pharmacist says he's been a bit busier, but says it's not too late to make a switch.
Stephen Giroux, who is president of seven independent pharmacies in Western New York, says it's obviously a challenging circumstance, and it's kept his pharmacies busy.
"We have seven stores and in Middleport, there's no Rite Aid near us, necessarily. There's several in Lockport, but we have had probably a 20%-to-25% increase in the patient volume," said Giroux in an interview with WBEN. "In Tonawanda, where there were two Rite Aids closing nearby, I think we're projecting about a 75% increase. So we're busy, but we're trying our best to accommodate patients needs."
Giroux had to increase staffing after the Rite Aid closures.
"We initially were a lot busier, and now it's it's tapered off a little bit as people have become accustomed to what's going on," Giroux said.
Giroux says if you haven't been proactive, it's still OK to get your prescribers to send the prescriptions that you have to the pharmacy of your choice, not the ones that necessarily they were transferred to.
"It may require a phone call to have that prescription that might have been filled elsewhere reversed," Giroux added.
He says call your prescribers, have the prescriptions sent to the pharmacy that you choose.
"Make sure to connect with the pharmacy that you choose, introduce yourself, get your demographic and insurance information to that pharmacy, and then you should be ready to go with your prescription needs," Giroux noted.
Rite Aid declared bankruptcy earlier this year, and stores in New York closed recently.