Pharmacy closing over low insurance reimbursement rates

KAILUA-KONA — Oshima Drug is scheduled to close later this month, sending customers who have relied on the Kainaliu pharmacy elsewhere for their prescriptions.

The last day the pharmacy, located inside Oshima Store, will be open is Aug. 18, said staff pharmacist Debby Mattioli. The closure is the result of “very low reimbursement rates” from insurance companies, Mattioli said, which makes it difficult to cover the cost to fill and process prescriptions. The pharmacy has been open for 50 years, said pharmacist Corinne Oshima-Koseda.

Mattioli said Thursday that all Oshima Drug prescriptions are being moved to the Longs Drugs in Keauhou.

Customers don’t need to do anything if they plan to keep their prescriptions at Longs, she said.

However, if they want their prescriptions moved to a different pharmacy, Mattioli said customers should contact their preferred pharmacist and have them contact the Keauhou Longs Drugs to have the prescription moved.

She said pharmacists who are asked to move prescriptions should tell Longs Drugs the prescription was previously with Oshima Drug.

Only the Oshima Drug pharmacy is closing, Mattioli said. Its closure doesn’t extend to Oshima Store, which will remain open for business. The store has been in operation since 1926, according to the Kona Historical Society.

What’s uncertain, however, is whether the store will continue to stock over-the-counter drugs and other medical supplies in the mauka Kona town.

Mattioli said drug companies typically require stores to meet established minimums when making orders. Those orders normally include over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs.

“If you can’t meet the minimum, you’re usually not able to order,” Mattioli said.

However, she said, the store’s management is exploring whether they will be able to continue to stock some over-the-counter medications.