Thrifty White Drug closes

Kirsten Whipple, Kmart spokesperson, said the Kmart Pharmacy has acquired Thrifty’s customer pharmaceutical records. She described the sale as a “mutually beneficial opportunity.”

Whipple noted that sales of this nature are not generally made known to the public before they occur, and that the records typically transfer at the same time, and according to State Board of Pharmacy regulations.

Thrifty White prescription customers may go on to Kmart pharmacy, or have an option to ask for transfer of their records to another pharmacy, or just start an account with another pharmacy using a new prescription.

“Obviously, we would love people to try the Kmart Pharmacy,” said Whipple. “We believe that they will be happy with the level of service, our on time guarantees, and a lot of cost saving benefits from the Generic Program and others.

“A lot of staff from Thrifty White are also going to the Kmart Pharmacy as well,” she added.

Colleen Hanover, Thrifty White owner, and management had no comment on the pharmacy closing, but reportedly did let customers know ahead of time of the transition of their records to Kmart. Thrifty White also operates a one-hour photo, and is a station for Western Union and UPS.

The independently owned Thrifty White store was established by Russell Hanover, a pharmacist who operated the store until he died in 2002.

The Hanover family stated in an advertisement in Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Journal that all of the store’s pharmacy records and some of its staff will transfer to the Kmart in International Falls. The ad also stated that the store would feature new hours as of Wednesday.

“We are very confident that all of your health needs will continue to be handled with the same care and professionalism that you have been accustomed to at Thrifty White,” stated the family in the advertisement.

A pharmacy is expected to, but is not currently required, to notify customers or the public of its closing, or to where it is sending pharmacy records, said Cody Wiberg, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy explained.

Minnesota law requires a pharmacy to notify the board at least 14 days before closing. The law ensures that the pharmacist-in-charge returns the pharmacy license and has properly transferred its prescription files, controlled substance inventory and medical devices.

Meanwhile, the Board of Pharmacy gets many calls from former customers of closed pharmacies, he said. As a result the board has included a customer notification requirement in its package of statute proposals to the state this year.

“Some pharmacies don’t even tell their employees until last day and the last minute,” said Wiberg. “Customers come in the next morning to see a sign on the door and that is not right.

“They may have called in refills and now they don’t even know where to go and don’t know where their records were sent,” he added.

The notification of closings would require pharmacies to have closing signs, flyers with prescriptions bags and media advertisements.

Wiberg said the law would require the pharmacy to give the public time in advance to say whether or not they want their records transferred to a specific pharmacy.

Wiberg said the changes also address a public safety issue with patients filling life saving emergency medications. Without knowledge of where refill records are sent, customers would have to contact their physician for a new prescription.

“People shouldn’t have to figure out to call the Board of Pharmacy on their own if they haven’t been told,” said Wiberg.

The pharmacy board formed a committee to research case law in Minnesota and in states that already require advance customer notification of pharmacy closings. They are concerned that the court could find that pharmacy records have property value which contain rights as a business.

“We are running it by an assistant attorney general to see if pharmacies are going to be able to claim that we are interfering with their property rights,” said Wiberg.

The notification must also pass as part of a package of proposed rule changes.

The other changes would require pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to take lunch breaks when working over six hours. Wiberg said that some pharmacists work 12-hour shifts without a lunch break. He said this presents a hazardous situation when tired professionals could make unintentional mistakes.

The third board issue is to address standards improvements for pharmacies that hire pharmacy technicians and interns to work in rotation as on the job training.

The board published its intent to study and pursue these changes in the State Register. They are waiting for feedback on the work of the committees. The group will meet in mid August to update progress. They will present proposed legislation to an administrative law judge and then to the state legislature.