Privately Owned Pharmacy Still Thriving

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Having a local pharmacy available to meet your medical needs is important to staying healthy.  In recent years, major corporations have dominated the field leaving small, privately owned pharmacies struggling to survive.  Baze Pharmacy in Starkville is still independently owned and has been in business since 2006.

Athelia B. Eze, owner of Baze Pharmacy, says the privately owned pharmacy industry was not prepared for competition from large corporations and it’s cost them dearly. “Walgreens has lobbyists with big pockets and they can buy what you call PBMs who go around to big, large corporations and make deals with those corporations to only have their employees to shop at Walgreens or Walmart or CVS and of course, that leaves the independent and mom & pop shops out.”

Baze specializes in Diabetic care and clients 50 years or older are allowed to open charge accounts. Eze says offering special services and truly caring about the clients can help independent pharmacies remain in business.

Baze Pharmacy began as a clinic in 2001 and currently has eight employees.  They plan to expand, adding 15-20 more employees by the end of next year.