Perhaps it’s her infectious laugh or the way she effortlessly lifts the spirits of everyone who walks through her pharmacy doors. Maybe it’s her honesty, always telling her customers what they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear. Perhaps it’s her selflessness, being exactly who her customers need at any given moment. Deborah Gale, the owner and pharmacist at Habersham Drug, and her team will be deeply missed.
Her name reverberated through the corners of Habersham County as the news spread: Habersham Drug is closing, just on the heels of Crossroads Pharmacy.
A difficult decision
A beloved figure in the healthcare community, Deborah Gale has served as a pharmacist for 30+ years, but now, she faces the heartbreaking decision to close her doors—not by choice, but out of necessity.
With tears in her eyes, Gale shared the difficulty of her decision: “My customers depend on me. I want to make sure they are taken care of,” she said, reflecting on the past decade she has spent serving her community at Habersham Drug.
In today’s healthcare environment, many independent pharmacies are closing—not because of the economy or lack of customer loyalty, as we’re often told, but due to a battle for control.
The ‘middleman’ hurting the ‘little man’
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are frequently blamed, with many accusing them of underpaying small pharmacies. These intermediaries negotiate drug prices on behalf of employers, claiming to protect them from high drugmaker prices. However, critics argue that PBMs are actually inflating costs for employers and small businesses.
“I recently filled nine prescriptions for a long-time customer,” Gale explained. “Our reimbursement was $5.00.”
PBMs are often at the center of rising prescription drug prices due to practices like “spread pricing,” where they charge insurers higher prices for drugs than what they reimburse pharmacies. They also steer patients toward more expensive drugs on formularies and take hefty fees from drug manufacturers and insurance companies.
Critics argue that PBMs profit from inflated prices while offering little to no benefit to patients. This lack of transparency is a major contributor to higher drug costs for consumers. Large pharmacy corporations such as CVS and Walgreens own PBMs and make a share of the profit.
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Closing
Only three locally owned pharmacies remain in Habersham. In her parting note to patients, Gale praised each one of them, saying, “We know our fellow independent pharmacies, Tim’s Pharmacy (Cornelia), Express Med (Clarkesville), and Baldwin Pharmacy (Baldwin), care for their patients as passionately as we care for ours!”
She expressed Habersham Drug’s intention to “make every effort to ensure our patients are taken care of during this transition.” The pharmacy will continue to fill most prescriptions through Friday, Jan. 10, and will assist patients in transferring active prescriptions to the pharmacy of their choice.
There was hope that House Bill 916 would provide relief for independent pharmacists. The bill passed Georgia’s legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2024. However, with the swift closure of so many independently owned pharmacies, one has to wonder if the bill was enough to make a real difference.
Gale emphasized her appreciation and that of her team for District 50 State Sen. Bo Hatchett. “He has been our voice, and I know he will continue to fight for independent pharmacies in our community,” she said.
Beloved pharmacy
For Deborah Gale and all her many customers, the closure of Habersham Drug goes beyond PBMs and House Bills—it’s personal. Gale considers her patients her family, who feel the same about her. Habersham Drug’s closing is a huge loss for the local healthcare community and all those who rely on Gale and the staff at Habersham Drug.
“I never had to worry about refills or understanding what my doctor said because I knew Deborah would explain it all to me,” said a customer as he left the pharmacy on Monday as news of the closing began to spread. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.”
His is a sentiment shared by many.
