North Dakota remains the only state in the union where Wal-Mart Stores cannot sell $4 generic prescription drugs due to a law that requires every pharmacy to be owned by a pharmacist.
"People shouldn't be required to spend so much more than they have to for the simple act of trying to keep themselves healthier," Ryan Horn, a Wal-Mart spokesperson, told The Associated Press. "That is what this law is doing, and it shouldn't stand."
Earlier this month, the state's Supreme Court upheld Attorney General Al Jaeger's rejection of a petitioned submitted by a group called North Dakotans for Lower Prescription Drug Prices, which would have allowed a ballot vote to overturn the law. Mr. Jaeger rejected the petition because the group failed to identify the names and addresses of the proposed bill's sponsors in accordance with state law.
"It's unfortunate because a lot of people signed those petitions, but the responsibility to make sure they are circulated correctly is up to the sponsoring committee," Mr. Jaeger told the Bismarck Tribune.
Small pharmacies and proponents of the law argue it is necessary in such a rural state. The law was originally passed in the 1960's when there were concerns about local doctors buying up pharmacies.
"In many smaller cities in North Dakota, one of the few people who has any medical knowledge and ability is the local pharmacist. Seniors look to the pharmacist for a whole lot of advice," state Rep. Jim Kasper told the AP. "Losing them would be like the school closing or the post office closing. You just lose the heart of your town."
Discussion Question: Does the North Dakota law requiring a pharmacist to own a pharmacy still make sense today?