KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
THuRSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2021
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Probing
wave of
pharmacy
closures
.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat
representing Oregon, has some
questions about the causes for a
wave of pharmacy closures, most notably
those in 56 Bi-Mart stores, including the
stores in Baker City, La Grande, Pendle-
ton and Hermiston.
The senator is right to ask those ques-
tions.
And although the answers he might
get likely won’t resurrect any pharma-
cies, perhaps Wyden’s efforts can stave
off future closures, particularly in rural
areas such as union County and umatilla
County, where residents have fewer
options for filling prescriptions.
Wyden, who is chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee, wrote a letter to
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator
of the Centers for Medicare and Medic-
aid Services, a federal agency. Wyden
cited the Bi-Mart pharmacy closures,
noting that pharmacies across Oregon
have reported as a problem the “direct
and indirect remuneration” fees imposed
by Medicare Part D plans and phar-
macy benefit managers — which Wyden
describes as “middlemen.”
“I am deeply concerned that the rise
of these fees has contributed to the
permanent closure of 2,200 pharmacies
nationwide between December 2017 and
December 2020,” Wyden wrote in his
letter to Brooks-LaSure.
The pharmacies are the casualty of a
sale involving the Bi-Mart Corporation
and Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest
pharmacy chains. Walgreens, as part of
the purchase agreement, will buy all of
Bi-Mart’s pharmacies. Walgreens will
operate many of Bi-Mart’s already exist-
ing pharmacies, but not at some stores,
including Baker City and La Grande’s,
according to Don Leber, Bi-Mart presi-
dent of marketing and advertising.
Wyden also wrote these fees “can be
deployed as anti-competitive tactics”
by the pharmacy benefit managers —
companies that manage prescription drug
benefits on behalf of health insurers,
Medicare Part D plans and large employ-
ers, among other clients.
Wyden is calling on the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services to
review pharmacy closures in the u.S.
over the past five years, including the
nature and effect of PBM payment prac-
tices, and to use the agency’s authority to
regulate their fees.
U
EDITORIALS
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East
Oregonian editorial board. Other columns,
letters and cartoons on this page express the
opinions of the authors and not necessarily
that of the East Oregonian.
LETTERS
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of 400 words or less on public issues and public
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to withhold letters that address concerns about
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Unsigned letters will not be published.
SEND LETTERS TO:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801
Supporting children and families
as we return to in-person school
REBECCA
JONES GASTON
OTHER VIEWS
W
ith children across Oregon
in school full-time for the
first time since the pandemic
began, they are spending significant
portions of their days with teachers and
other education professionals.
Educators, who are mandatory
reporters of child abuse and neglect,
have a unique opportunity to get to
know the children and families they see
daily. They are there to share and expe-
rience a child’s victories, strengths, and
challenges as they learn, grow and inter-
act with friends at school.
As mandatory reporters, when educa-
tors have a reason to believe a child is
experiencing abuse or neglect, they are
required by law to report that concern to
the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by call-
ing 855-503-SAFE (7233).
But what should an educator or other
caring adult do when they see a child
and family who is in need or crisis,
but do not believe that a child is being
abused or neglected?
Our data tells us that many people
turn to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline
when they want to help but are not sure
how.
This year approximately 53,000,
nearly half, of the calls to the Oregon
Child Abuse Hotline were not reports
of suspected abuse or neglect. These are
calls from educators and other members
of our community who recognize that a
child and family might need assistance
because they are struggling with hunger,
housing instability, job loss, mental or
physical health issues or other stressful
situations.
Often these calls come to us because
the callers are not sure where to turn for
support.
There are many different resources
and supports available in our communi-
ties to help children and families meet
their needs. Sometimes, the best way to
support child and family wellbeing and
safety is to help them get plugged-in to
the resources they need:
Local supports in your community:
• Dial 211 or text your ZIP code to
898-211 to get connected to local food,
housing, child care and other supports in
your community.
• Family Access Network advo-
cates are in school and are located in
schools and connect families with local
resources: Call 541-693-5675 or visit
FamilyAccessNetwork.org.
• NeighborImpact connects families
to food resources, child care resources,
utility and rental assistance: Call
541-504-2155 or visit NeighborImpact.
org.
Mental and behavioral
health supports:
• Youthline: Call 877-968-8491, text
teen2teen to 839863, chat at
• www.oregonyouthline.org.
• LinesForLife.org/get-help-now.
• Lines for Life Suicide Lifeline: Call
800-273-8255 (24/7) or text 273TALK
to 839863 (Monday through Friday,
2-6 p.m.)
• Oregon Behavioral Health Support
Line: Call 800-923-4357 (24/7)
• Military Helpline: Call 888-457-
4838 (24/7) or text MIL1 to 839863
(Monday through Friday, 2-6 p.m.)
• Resources to help educators provide
mental health and social support for chil-
dren and families are available at www.
oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/stan-
dards/Pages/Mental_Health_Students_
Families.aspx.
Food support:
• Find a food local pantry by visiting
foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org.
• Find a local food pantry by visiting
NeighborImpact.org/get-help/get-food.
Government programs
and support:
• Learn about government programs
and community resources for older
adults and people with disabilities
by contacting the Aging and Disabil-
ity Resource Connection of Oregon at
855-673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org.
• Apply for government food, cash,
child care assistance and the Oregon
Health Plan online at ONE.Oregon.gov
or by calling 800-699-9075.
• Of course, when an educator or
other caring adult suspects a child is
experiencing abuse or neglect, that
person should — and may be required
by law to — report that concern to the
Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling
855-503-SAFE (7233).
We all want children and families in
Oregon to be healthy, safe and happy.
Child abuse and neglect is preventable
when communities come together to
support children and families, and there
are many organizations, nonprofits,
and people who can help support fami-
lies and prevent a family’s crisis from
becoming a child’s safety issue.
———
Rebecca Jones Gaston is the direc-
tor of the Child Welfare Division of the
Oregon Department of Human Services.
YOUR VIEWS
Coach Salas should have
done something for the
greater good
I was thinking recently about the
last few weeks of results in football for
the local teams. While I didn’t see them
play, I was impressed by the Stanfield
Tigers. While they didn’t have a strong
wins and losses record, they played both
Weston McEwen and Heppner very
competitively all the while playing with
as few as 13 players.
I read the human interest story in the
paper and learned that coach Salas had
resigned his position rather than get a
vaccination for COVID-19. The article
was filled with stories of coach Salas and
the life lessons he imparted to his play-
ers and the character building he thought
was so important for young people he
coached.
unfortunately, coach Salas failed to
display and show by example on of life’s
most important lessons.
Being able to do something that you
personally don’t agree with but coming
to a decision for the greater good would
have been a life lesson that the coach
had within his grasp. He missed a golden
opportunity for this teachable moment.
I hope as the pandemic subsides, we
will see coach Salas on the sidelines again.
George Koffler
Hermiston
What is Gov. Kate Brown
expected to do against
illegal marijuana grows?
I read your opinion concerning ille-
gal marijuana grow operation (“State
of Oregon created its illegal pot crisis,
now it needs to stop it,” Thursday, Oct.
21) and as I read the editorial, I could not
help to wonder what kind of help these
beleaguered counties are expecting from
Gov. Kate Brown.
Oregon is the first state in the union
to decriminalize heroin, MDMA, meth-
amphetamine, LSD, psilocybin, meth-
adone, oxycodone and cocaine. It’s not
like you are going to go down to your
local drug store and ask the pharmacist
for a gram of methamphetamine or 40
hits of LSD.
The only way to acquire these drugs
is through the illegal means. So, if the
state of Oregon condones the sale of
heroin, meth and other illicit drugs
through drug cartels, what kind of assis-
tance are you expecting from Brown?
Marijuana is more of a socially
accepted drug. You can grow it for your
personal use or buy from a licensed
distributer. I just think the only avenue
that will get Salem involved is the loss of
tax revenue. I don’t even know if that is
enough because they do not collect taxes
from the cartels selling the other illegal
drugs. Just my thoughts.
Joe Mesteth
Hermiston