Independent, chain, or mailorder pharmacy

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Retail pharmacy is changing with the nationwide increase in chain drugstores and the introduction of mail-order prescription companies. The authors studied 160 private-practice patients who were prescribed the same drug to assess the patients' choice of pharmacy, method of payment, cost, and loyalty to a pharmacist as well as the pharmacists' accuracy in filling the prescription. In light of the results, they contend that survival of independent pharmacists may depend on their ability to develop customer loyalty through communication and dependability.