Carson City pharmacy closes retail outlet, other operations open

Dahl’s Pharmacy has closed its retail outlet in Carson City.

The independent pharmacy has operated in Carson City for 10 years, opening up shop on Carson Street in 2010, then buying and moving into the former Mike’s Pharmacy drive-through building on Curry Street in May 2019.

Dahl’s is still working there providing services to customers throughout Nevada. One is compounding, making custom medicines that are not commercially available otherwise. The other is packaging medicines to help people manage multiple medications, which the pharmacy does for assisted living facilities and guardianship programs as well as individual customers.

“We’re excited about where we’re headed,” said Nathan Dahl, owner. “It allows us to serve the community and stay viable.”

Dahl said the change was primarily due to industry dynamics and not the pandemic. Pharmacy benefit managers, which administer prescription drug plans for insurance providers, reimburse chain pharmacies at a higher rate than independent ones, and three years ago starting charging the independents fees.

Dahl said the pharmacy has been filling more prescriptions than ever but making less money due to the fees.

“It’s squeezing the little guy,” he said.

The state’s ability to regulate the PBMs is before the U.S. Supreme Court now in a case, Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, heard in October.

But resolution of the issue could take years, said Dahl.

For compounding or packaging services, contact Dahl’s at (844) 914-9067, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.