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This story recently ran in a German publication. It was issued by the German Pharmacists Association. Translation was necessary, so some reading between the lines is necessary.

Praise for Possession Ban

By Stephanie Schersch / A study in the U.S., the benefits of possession ban on pharmacies in North Dakota has been found. Accordingly, not only the quality of care in the pharmacy owner is better. Even a macroeconomic perspective, the state benefits from the ownership.

As the only example in the United States, North Dakota has adopted rules for the 1963 pharmacies possession. An approval is granted only if the pharmacy is at least 51 percent of the property from a registered pharmacist. For the good of the citizens should be ensured that all decisions are made on the pharmaceutical care of the population only by a pharmacist. Unlike the rest of the United States, it is corporate chains such as Walgreen's or Wal-Mart, therefore, not yet managed to operate pharmacies in North Dakota.

Chains such as CVS / pharmacy in North Dakota may operate differently than the rest of the United States, not pharmacies.

Against this background, Justin Dahlheimer and Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) in Minneapolis, the situation in North Dakota have examined more closely and to see their results in the study, "Benefits of pharmacy ownership rules in North Dakota" (under newrules.org / retail / ndpolbrief.pdf) combined. First of all, the pharmacies density here is significantly higher than in neighboring countries, note the authors. This also applied to the rural areas, so that "it is ensured that the residents have access to basic health services."

The vast majority of pharmacies would also run by locals who invest a large proportion of their income again in the wages of local employees as well as domestic transactions. For pharmacy chains and mail-order pharmacies, this was far less the case. "The law on pharmacies owned so also the state's economy by promoting a pharmacy sector, which is mainly owned by local people," so Dahlheimer and Mitchell.

Economic impact

Would eliminate the law and shifted a significant proportion of the market chains and mail-order pharmacies, the authors warn against economic losses. North Dakota could be calculated that each year about their 23 million U.S. dollars in direct economic benefits, such as wages and business go income lost. "This in turn would generate considerable indirect economic losses and reduce the state and local income taxes."

The conventional wisdom, the spread of pharmacy chains would lead to lower drug prices, opposes the study. "The average prices for prescription drugs in North Dakota are among the lowest in the country, it says. In a direct comparison with the other states in the USA, where pharmacy chains are widely established, North Dakota, thus cutting off exceptionally well. Data from opinion polls and consumer reports would also show that independent pharmacies generally offer higher quality health care and better customer service than chains.

Confirmed in court

Raise this value Dahlheimer and Mitchell especially apparent. For "even if the opponents of the law right in their contention that the abolition of the law would lower drug prices by three per cent, must be compensated for these modest savings will go against the very real and substantial costs that the residents of North Dakota to be shall, where access to pharmacies and the important health services that offer this back, ".

Multiple Fremdbesitzverbot of pharmacies in the North Dakota was challenged in U.S. courts already. Again and again, corporate chains have tried to overturn the law, so far without any success. Ultimately, the judges have always voted for the whereabouts of the scheme. North Dakota surpassed other states in every key area of pharmacy services, "largely" due to its unique law on pharmacy ownership are Dahlheimer and Mitchell at the end of their study. Finally, would ensure "that the services will focus on providing public health and safety and not to" be driven by a profit margin.