Pro-life pharmacy in D.C. area closes due to financial difficulties
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Chantilly, Va., Mar 5, 2010 / 01:22 am (CNA).- The only pro-life pharmacy in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area has announced that it is closing because of financial difficulties.

The business’ pharmacist Robert Semler, quoted at the Save DMC Pharmacy website, said he could not stay open past March 4.

He reported that he needed “a couple of hundred thousand dollars and 5,000 customers” to stay open, five times as many customers as the business had at present.

A March 1 letter from Dr. John T. Bruchalski, M.D., President of Divine Mercy Care (DMC), announced that he had been authorized by the DMC Board of Directors to take necessary steps to close the pharmacy due to “financial difficulties.”

“We appreciate the sacrifices that Robert Semler and his family have made in taking on the challenge with us to build a faith-based pharmacy in Northern Virginia,” Bruchalski’s letter continued. “While we are extremely disappointed that we have not been able to provide the financial and customer support to continue the pharmacy operations, we remain totally committed to the ideals the DMC Pharmacy stood for - quality products, excellent service and a family-friendly atmosphere.”

At the time of the pharmacy’s opening in October 2008, Semler said he appreciated that his faith did not have to be “checked at the door” each morning when he started work. He reported that the pharmacy was free of “anti-life messages.”

In an October 2008 interview, DMC executive director Bob Laird discussed the economic realities of the venture with CNA. He reported that the pharmacy was positioned between two large Catholic parishes in the area whose combined parishioners totaled 20,000. Three other nearby parishes had a combined 30,000 parishioners.

The pharmacy stocked standard prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and “quality alternative products.” It did not carry contraceptive products and did not recommend them.

It also provided natural family planning materials from the Couple to Couple League.

In January 2009, the DMC Pharmacy fought a bill introduced into the Virginia House of Delegates that specifically regulated pharmacies which did not provide contraception. At that time, Laird told CNA he believed the pharmacy was targeted by the bill.

Because of its closure, the pharmacy’s prescription records were transferred to Virginia CVS Pharmacy. The closing of the DMC Pharmacy has no effect on the other DMC organization, the Tepeyac Family Center pro-life OB-GYN practice in Fairfax.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: C. McLaughlin
Virginia 03/13/2010 08:55 PM EST
Yes, this pharmacy was EXTENSIVELY promoted throughout the diocese both from the pulpit and through parish bulletins. Discount coupons were distributed throughout the community at large. The failure of this pharmacy had little to do with the faith of Catholics and much to do with the fact that it's premise was based on a business model that was sure to fail. This pharmacy was located within an easy walk of 3+ other retail sources for the same prescriptions and products (and more). Regular prescriptions would have provided an annuity stream for the business but the situation with many health plans today is that if one requires a refill on a prescription more than 3x per year, you are forced to use a mail order service that the insurance company contracts with. This cuts out the pharmacist as the middle man in the transaction. (Catholic) consumers can shop anywhere and still abide by their faith based on the choices they make. Mr. Semler's personal professional dilemma that he feels he'd be faced with if he worked at a regular commercial pharmacy is not a good enough reason to drive consumers into a store with limited goods and services. Almost anyone with rudimentary business sense could have predicted this outcome.
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Published by: Cathy
Silvis, IL 03/07/2010 11:52 PM EST
This is sad! Obviously not enough of those parishioners put their faith into action and supported him.
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Published by: Robert Martino Sr.
Elmira, NY 03/06/2010 05:00 AM EST
Of the 50,000 Catholic parishioners in the area, this pharmacy could not draw 5,000 Catholics! Were the Catholics and any other protestant originations made aware of the pharmacy. Every pastor of every church should of been announcing the pharmacy. Inserts should of been in the bulletins. Donations should of been given to help with advertising. I can not believe that the Catholics and non Catholic Christians with similar beliefs would choose to use a pharmacy other then DMC Pharmacy if they lived in the area. How can this be?
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