Rick’s Pharmacy to end pharmaceuticals

     As of Dec. 31, 2016, Rick’s Pharmacy in Hampton will no longer fill prescriptions, said owner Rick Grote.
     Grote said that the decision to end the pharmacy portion of the business came because of his customer pool shrinking and over regulation on the part of the federal government.
     Grote said that two years ago, he made the decision to stop accepting insurance after companies were not reimbursing him for the prescriptions filled, which shrank his customer pool to those that still paid for prescriptions fully out-of-pocket. Grote said it was costing him more money to keep the software for prescriptions up-to-date than was worth selling them.
     Grote gave his required 30-day notice of closure to his customers about six months ago. What will become of the business, Grote doesn’t know as of yet. He will be taking a vacation in new year in which he’ll evaluate what will become of the space. Two options are a general store or a Christian gift shop.
    Read the full article in the January 17 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.