19 positions eliminated as Bangor-based Miller Drug restructures

Miller Drug, a part of Affiliated Pharmacy Services, a division of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, is eliminating 19 positions as part of a restructuring that began more than a year ago to keep pace with rapid changes in the pharmacy business.

Founded in Bangor in 1957, Miller Drug merged with Affiliated Pharmacy Services in 2010. It operates five retail locations, one long-term care pharmacy and a central mail pharmacy — from Millinocket to Calais to Portland — and has more than 100 employees.

“We feel confident we are building a stronger strategy for the future that will not only better serve our communities but strengthen the support we provide our hospitals, homecare organizations, and long term care facilities,” Vincent Mainella, chief operating officer at Miller Drug, said in a news release. “However, as a result, we need to make adjustments that will affect our current Miller Drug staffing model. Some positions will be going away, but new positions are being created at Miller and throughout EMHS.”

The eliminated positions primarily affect Miller Drug’s long-term-care pharmacy, according to the news release.

“Miller Drug will work closely with displaced employees and EMHS Human Resources to find new, suitable positions for those employees who wish to remain in the system,” Mainella stated.

Miller Drug’s future plans include expanding clinical services to specialty areas such as rheumatology, oncology, hematology and pediatrics, as well as enhancing its hospital and home-care delivery programs.

It also announced it would be “improving [its] delivery system by streamlining the services [provided] to both long-term care and the public.”

“The changes ahead align with where pharmacy service delivery is heading, and we look forward to continuing to serve our Maine communities for generations to come,” said Jeff Doran, vice president of System Clinical Services at EMHS.