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Local pharmacies feel economic pinch
County facility, other private ventures eating into business
1029PHARMACY4
Woody's Pharmacy on Dahlonega Highway serves the Clermont area. Representatives of local retail pharmacies have expressed concern about the county opening its own clinic and pharmacy for employees, arguing local government should not compete unfairly with the private sector.
The mom-and-pop pharmacies of American lore, the ones with soda fountains or gift shops to go along with the charm of personal service, are not yet a relic of yesteryear. But unease about a growing marketplace of competitors has left some local pharmacies wondering about their future. That feeling was made all the more visceral recently when Hall County government reported that it saved $1.4 million in prescription drug and medical insurance plan costs for its workers in the first 18 months of operating its own clinic.