Editor,

I am responding to a recent letter to the editor by Mr. Born suggesting that Whidbey General Hospital pharmacy open its doors to the general public to make up for the loss of Linds Pharmacy in Coupeville.

If conditions were right, I’m sure Whidbey General would be more than happy to accommodate the public’s need for an in-town pharmacy.

However, Linds Pharmacy in Coupeville closed because it was not making a profit. Moreover, hospital outpatient pharmacies are notorious for losing money.

If Whidbey General is notorious for “losing” money, as Mr. Born and his supporters claim, how will this “solution” improve the financial situation of the hospital?

Is it appropriate for the taxpayers of the hospital district to support a money- losing enterprise that would benefit only the small population of Coupeville while it is in direct competition with seven pharmacies on the island?

We truly need calm, thoughtful financial analysis from a trusted, experienced CPA.

Let’s re-elect our incumbent hospital commissioner for district 2, Georgia Gardner.

Rose Kinnebrew

Oak Harbor