Town officials: Prescription needs for Islanders have not been forgotten

It won’t happen overnight, but since the Shelter Island Heights Pharmacy ceased its prescription services to Islanders in September 2025, Town officials and volunteers have been working diligently to restore a means of offering those services.

It turns out it’s not a direct path to locating a site, a licensed pharmacist to operate a pharmacy, permits necessary to the operation and the money it would take — an estimated $750,000 — to make it happen.

But through months of work and examination of medical services lacking on the Island, the group may have found a circuitous route to expand other needed medical services that could eventually include prescriptions being available locally.

When the Soloviev Group announced an end to its prescription services, the reason cited was cost that was draining money from its Island holdings.

What the group working to improve Island medical services determined is operation of prescription services needs to be tied to other money-making businesses. What better than to tie it to other medical services lacking on the Island, Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams and Deputy Supervisor Meg Larsen agreed.

They aren’t committing the Island to anything at this stage but are developing a memorandum of understanding with the Clare Medical Practice. The memo is not contractual but simply indicates a plan to explore possibilities.

Dr. Peter Kelt continues his longtime practice at the Town Medical Building and Dr. Joshua Potter was assigned by Stony Brook to provide services in the other office at the Medical Building.

But last September, Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams announced a change that would have Dr. Potter at the Island Medical Center either one day a week or two half days.

The other days would be covered by a physician assistant to enable Dr. Potter to work with the Graduate Medical Education program at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.

The Town’s contract is with Stony Brook, not directly with the doctor. 

 Dr. Potter will continue to see patients at the Medical Center one day a week or two half days, while the physician assistant will staff the Medical Center office two days a week. 

“An active search is underway to recruit an additional provider to serve the Shelter Island community,” said Barbara Jo Howard, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the hospital, now that Dr. Potter will be working with the Graduate Medical Education program.

Town officials want to increase on-Island staffing in that office as one of the weaknesses they see in Town medical services.

That could be an entryway into a system that could reestablish pharmaceutical services.

It’s almost impossible to make a pharmacy work without something to offset its lack of profitability, Councilwoman Liz Hanley said. What’s needed is cash flow from another entity, she said.

Establishing a new practice on the Island is easier than a new pharmacy, she said.

That’s why the focus now is on filling other holes in medical services on the Island that could fill the financial role a pharmacy would need to be viable, Ms. Larsen said.