While expressing concerns for their Medicaid customers, someindependent pharmacists in Brookhaven say they are maintaining onlya passing interest in the current legislative feud over the healthcare program.

With differing proposals to address a $268 million deficit, theHouse and Senate have yet reach an agreement on Medicaid issues.Recent action by Medicaid officials secured funds to allow theprogram to go until March 11, but a long-term solution remainselusive.

LaRue Baker, owner of LaRue’s Discount Drugs, said the Medicaiddebate has been difficult to follow. He said it is battle betweentwo chambers.

“They’ve just got to work it out,” Baker said.

Roberts Watts, owner of Roberts Watts Pharmacy, said thesituation changes from week to week and lawmakers have been slow torespond.

Clinton Bane, of Bane Drugs, voiced some ambivalence aboutlawmakers’ actions.

“They’re going to do whatever they they’re going to do,” Banesaid.

Pharmacists contacted said Medicaid represented varyingpercentages of their businesses. Baker said Medicaid is bigbusiness in Mississippi.

“One in every four people is on Medicaid,” said Baker,estimating that about one-third of his customers utilize Medicaidservices. “It’s a big part of my business.”

Watts said Medicaid represented about 13 percent to 17 percentof his monthly business.

“It wouldn’t affect me as much as some that have a largepercentage,” Watts said.

While Bane estimated Medicaid accounts for 50 percent of hisprescription business, he said the real impact of Medicaid programmodifications would be felt elsewhere.

“It’s going to affect our business, but it’s really going to puta burden on Medicaid recipients,” Bane said.

One proposal has been to reduce the number of prescriptionscovered Medicaid, but Bane said some patients need everyprescription they currently receive and could be put in a situationof choosing which ones to take and which ones to bypass.

“I don’t know how they’re going to handle that,” Bane said

Bane said skipping needed medication could lead to morehospitalizations. That, in turn, could prove more costly toMedicaid.

“One day’s stay in a hospital will make up for a whole lot of aprescriptions,” Bane said.

Watts expressed similar points. He said older recipients needthe maximum number of prescriptions while others may not need butthree or four.

“It’s the elderly they’re hurting. It’s not the baby boomers orsome of the others,” Watts said.

Regarding solutions, Bane and Watts spoke of increasing use ofgeneric drugs. In many cases, Watts said, they already are beingused, but more could be done.

Out of genuine concern as well as potential legal issues, Wattssaid doctors strive to prescribe the best care possible forpatients. However, in some health cases, he said older genericdrugs should be considered rather than utilizing newer, more-costlyname brand drugs.

One possibility being proposed by the House is a 50-cents perpack increase on cigarettes. The Senate and Gov. Haley Barbour areopposed to any new taxes.

Watts said he realized that smoking is bad. However, he voicedobjections to the cigarette tax plan.

“They shouldn’t put a tax on one sector of the public,” Wattssaid. “If you do tax, tax it across the board.”

Baker leaned more toward a Senate proposal to dip into thetobacco fund. Senators are advocating taking $200 million from thefund.

Baker said the money from the state’s lawsuit should have comeback to taxpayers in form of a refund anyway. He expected the fundto be tapped for Medicaid.

“They can say what they want to say, but they’re going to haveto get it,” Baker said.

With Medicaid’s importance to the state, Baker said lawmakerswill eventually have to settle differences and solve theproblem.

“They can’t just let it go. They’ve got to find a way,” Bakersaid.