The Gazette’s headline Jan. 11, “Hilltowns lose their pharmacy,” should not have surprised me.

Last year, I interviewed four independent pharmacists in Hampshire and Franklin counties. Each one talked about struggling to stay in business and serve their rural customers in the face of unfair business practices that reduced their reimbursement rates for prescriptions to less than the drugs’ wholesale cost. The rural pharmacies were losing money on most sales supposedly covered by insurance.

While “out-of-network” pharmacies floundered, CVS, the nation’s largest drugstore chain, sent pharmacy owners letters pointing out the difficult business climate they endured and urging them to join the CVS network or sell out.

Still, I was shocked the first time a new hospital prescription bounced back from Williamsburg Pharmacy and was automatically forwarded to CVS in Northampton. Upset and angry, I called CVS and waded through the robo-list of choices until a person answered. She told me I had called the wrong CVS. After going through the robot routine with the other CVS, I finally got confirmation and drove 30 miles round-trip to pick up my prescription at the CVS.

I will miss the Williamsburg Pharmacy four miles away from where a live person answered the phone during business hours. CVS managers don’t drive through snowstorms after closing to deliver an urgent prescription for a sick child or run a tab for a longtime customer in need. Only independent pharmacy owners make those choices.

Though CVS now owns Williamsburg’s customer list, I’m thankful there is another option. Serio’s Pharmacy on State Street is the one surviving independent pharmacy left in Northampton. Pharmacist/owner Paul Serio offers free customer parking in the lot next door. The store is open every day but Sunday, and charges reasonable prices for generic drugs and other merchandise. They also do special orders. I’ve told my health-care provider and the hospital to list Serio’s as my primary prescription provider with CVS as a back-up.

For hilltowners and others who care about buying local and supporting independent neighborhood businesses, I urge you to make Serio’s your pharmacy of choice.

Elaine Ulman

Williamsburg