“Hey Brian, how are you doing?” says Dan Churchill as he walks from behind his pharmacy counter to help a customer, who has a question about vitamins.

A few minutes later Churchill tells a reporter that there’s nothing like having a locally-owned pharmacy run by a local pharmacist

“It’s important because locally owned independent pharmacies still treat pharmacy as a health care profession whereas big corporations often don’t do that.”

It’s a subject Churchill is very familiar with considering he is a third generation pharmacist who also owns a pharmacy.

Churchill and his mother and Grandfather have no doubt benefited from a statute in North Dakota, which requires all pharmacies be majority owned by a local pharmacist.

Now that nearly 50 year-old law may be repealed by a ballot initiative. Churchill says it may put him and many others out of work.

“It potentially could [close locally owned pharmacies,]” he says. “We would see an influx of corporate pharmacies in a hurry in North Dakota.”

The ballot measure has gotten much of its funding from Wal-Mart, which up until now has been barred from opening pharmacies in North Dakota. Local supporters of the initiative believe the big box store will lower prescription drug costs for everyone in the state.

“We’re going to have competition,” predicts Dr. Eric Thompson, who says more competition means “lower prices.”

Thompson is from North Dakotans for Affordable Healthcare, the Wal-Mart group that’s sponsoring the initiative. He admits to being worried about losing North Dakotas locally-owned pharmacies.

“Of course I am,” he says. Small towns are drying up.” But he says the initiative is necessary.

“What I am concerned with is people paying too much for medicine, which is what’s happening now.”

Both sides claim to have studies showing how prescriptions are higher or lower respectively in states with big box store pharmacies.

Thompson says it’s all about letting the discount stores compete.

“We need to allow free enterprise of all businesses within North Dakota. That’s what’s fair for everybody.”

“The free enterprise system is alive and well in North Dakota,” counters Churchill.

“We have a number of different independent pharmacies owned by different pharmacists.

He says North Dakota benefits from having all the independently-owned pharmacies.

“In most states,” he says, “[all the pharmacies” are owned by just a few corporate giants.”