Closure of one of the last independent pharmacies in the Binghamton area
Another independent pharmacy in the Southern Tier has gone bankrupt.
Pharmacist Jaysukh Lalkiya said Apalachin Pharmacy opened in 1958. It closed on Tuesday.
Lalkiya had operated the business on Route 434 in Apalachin for 28 years. The pharmacy operation has been sold to CVS and prescription records will be transferred to that company’s store in West Corners.
Apalachin Pharmacy, now closed, March 29, 2022. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
Lalkiya said he and his wife Kinna made the difficult decision to close as “insurance headaches” continued to mount. He said Medicare and Medicaid fees hurt the business more than competition from drugstore chains.
The pharmacist said his customers were “very sad” when they heard the business was closed.
Signs at the entrance to the Apalachin Pharmacy on March 29, 2022. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Over the years, the Lalkiyas reached out to federal and state lawmakers to educate them about the growing challenges facing independent pharmacies.
Senator Charles Schumer – who is now the majority leader in the US Senate – once held a press conference at Apalachin Pharmacy to discuss legislation designed to help these small businesses.
Lalkiya said that although the pharmacy is closed, he and his wife will continue to operate the UPS Store franchise in the same building. An on-site gift shop also remains open.
Contact Bob Joseph, WNBF News reporter: [email protected].
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