BUFFALO, N.Y. — You may have heard the term "pharmacy desert" used with recent closings of Rite Aid Drug stores in the Buffalo area and across the state. Now some independent pharmacies say their business survival is at risk as well.

Jamie Latko, who runs the Niagara Apothecary, told reporters: "Pharmaceutical health care is in complete crisis and patients are going to get hurt because they don't know where to get their medication."

While efforts are underway to get customers of the now closing Rite Aid drug stores to transfer their prescriptions elsewhere, independent pharmacy owners used a Niagara Street store to make their points against pharmacy benefit managers. They are so-called middle men firms set up years ago as a go between to process prescriptions and patient payments.

But

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