Northern Light Health to sell long-term care pharmacy business

Courtesy / Northern Light Northern Light operates a total of five retail pharmacies, including this one on State Street in Bangor, known as Miller Drug since 1957 until it was acquired by Northern Light and renamed this year. The health care system is selling its long-term care pharmacy service in order to focus on the retail market.

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By Staff

Northern Light Health, Maine’s second-largest health care system, is selling a portion of its pharmacy business serving nearly 70 nursing homes and other long-term care facilities throughout the state.

Bangor Drug LTC will purchase the long-term care pharmacy operation in a deal expected to close Sept. 27, according to a news release Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed.

Northern Light says it decided to sell the long-term care business because it didn’t fit with the health care system’s other pharmacy services.

“The infrastructure and logistics of both our long-term care and our retail operations are very different from one another,” Northern Light Pharmacy Director Matthew Marston said in the release. “This move will allow us to dedicate our full attention toward the growth of our retail and specialty pharmacy lines of business.”

Bangor Drug LTC is well-positioned to take on the additional clientele, Marston said. The company has only been in Bangor for a year but has long served patients as Hebert Rexall Pharmacy in Van Buren, according to the release.

“We believe Bangor Drug LTC will provide the same level of service at comparable pricing,” said Marston.

Northern Light is now working to transition its long-term care pharmacy clients to Bangor Drug, and is trying to find positions for 18 workers affected by the change, Marston added.

Northern Light has over 12,000 employees and operates four retail pharmacies in the Bangor area, including one at the system's flagship hospital, Eastern Maine Medical Center. In 2017, Northern Light opened a retail pharmacy at its Portland affiliate, Mercy Hospital.