As pharmacy giants CVS and Walgreens faced off over a CVS-owned prescription benefits management company in recent days, one very interested party on the sidelines has been the contingent of 1,000 independent community pharmacists across Pennsylvania.

Walgreens announced last week that it would not participate in any new or renewed prescription plans with prescription drug benefits company CVS Caremark because of restrictions directing customers to refill prescriptions at a CVS pharmacy or through the CVS mail-order program. CVS Caremark responded by saying Walgreens was in violation of its contract and would be shut out of the network beginning July 9.

It’s an situation that independent pharmacies say they’ve been dealing with since shortly after pharmacy chain CVS and pharmacy benefit manager Caremark merged in 2007.

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