RANGELEY – Rangeley Pharmacy has sustained heavy financial losses during its four years in business and will close its doors, owner Bob Wentworth said Monday.

“I feel badly that this town is left without a pharmacy but without more volume a pharmacy cannot succeed in this town,” Wentworth said.

Wentworth opened the pharmacy, adjacent to his Rangeley IGA, a separate entity, about the time the town’s sole pharmacist left the profession. He was concerned that Rangeley area residents would have to travel about 100 miles round-trip to Farmington to get prescriptions, he said.

Years ago, before opening the pharmacy, I had a consulting company do a market analysis,” Wentworth said. “The numbers they showed me were positive for the volume we’re doing. Things have changed since then and their report turned out to be incorrect. In the four years it has been open it has sustained heavy losses. The time has come to cut my losses and move on.”

Wentworth said he tried to sell the pharmacy but had no takers.

He said he has worked with the Rangeley Health Center, his wholesalers and others to find alternatives to closing, without luck.

He hopes to be able to stay open until Friday, Oct. 1. Files are expected to be turned over to Rite Aid in Farmington.

“It’s sad for me,” Wentworth said. He will try to rent out the space next to his grocery store.

Krista Perry, executive director of Rangeley Region Health Wellness Partnership, said the health organization has been trying to help residents explore options for Rangeley area residents.

“We have a large population” that is not able to travel long distances, she said.

Steve Maki, a veteran pharmacist who owns a family-run Spruce Mountain Pharmacy in Jay, planned to explain his delivery and mail options to residents Monday night, Perry said. The delivery option would be free of charge and would be doable if there is enough people interested, she said.

Maki would designate a delivery or two of medications each week, Perry said. The Rangeley Region Physical Rehab and Wellness Pavilion will offer space for that service where people would be able to come pick up their prescriptions, Perry said.

“We’re trying to pick up the pieces to fill in the gap created by the unfortunate closing of Rangeley Pharmacy,” Maki said.

He saw no reason why a joint venture can’t be successful between Spruce Mountain Pharmacy and the health center, he said. Spruce Mountain currently delivers to Livermore, Livermore Falls, Jay, Fayette and Wilton, he said.

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