We have been looking forward to this for a long time: the state announcement detailing who would get the fifteenth pharmacy license approved by lawmakers earlier in 2021. Now we know that license has gone to Dragonfly Wellness. Dragonfly has been given the green light to open a new pharmacy in Price, Carbon County.
Though some in the industry do not want the state to issue any more pharmacy licenses, we are all in on the fifteenth pharmacy. Patients need access to their medicines regardless of where they live. For some, home delivery just isn’t the way to go. Yet driving an hour or more to visit a pharmacy is pretty much a deal-breaker.
We need more access in rural parts of the state. If that means more pharmacy licenses, then let’s go for it. In the meantime, we are looking forward to letting Medical Cannabis patients know when the new Dragonfly facility opens.
Carbon County is located in the eastern part of the state, adjacent to Utah, Duchesne, Uintah, Emery, and Sanpete counties. Its county seat is Price. With a total population of just 20,000, Carbon County is clearly rural.
Believe it or not, Carbon County was originally part of Emery County. That changed when the railroad was built through the state along the Price River. Coal mines were developed to support the railroad and, as a result, some of the people in the northern part of the county wanted to split off from Emery. That is exactly what happened in 1894, some 14 years after Emery County was established.
The new Carbon County got its name from the coal industry. For many years, coal supported the county’s economy. Today, it is all about natural gas. Carbon County has a plethora of natural resources that support the entire state of Utah. The people who live and work there are every bit as important to the Beehive State as their counterparts in the bigger cities.
We may never know exactly why the state chose Dragonfly as the fifteenth license holder and Price as the location of the new Medical Cannabis pharmacy. Putting a pharmacy in Price is a good start in the effort to increase access in rural counties. Hopefully, successful implementation will lead to even more efforts to improve rural access.
In the meantime, remember that patients still need a Medical Cannabis Card to buy from Dragonfly when their new facility opens. Nothing in respect to that has changed. Medical Cannabis cards are available to patients who are diagnosed with a qualifying condition by a Qualified Medical Provider (QMP).
Applying for card begins with logging on to the state’s website and starting the application process. Then you have to visit with the QMP. We recommend you pay us a visit at any of our facilities in the state. We specialize in helping new patients get their cards.
Following a successful visit, your QMP will enter the necessary information into the state’s electronic verification system (EVS). Then it is up to you to complete your application and pay your fee. The state will send you your Medical Cannabis card via email. Once you have it, you’ll be ready to make your first purchase.
If you have any questions about obtaining your card, don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be keeping an eye on the new Dragonfly facility down in Price. We are looking forward to them being ready to meet the needs of rural patients in eastern and southern portions of the state.
