Sole community independent pharmacists provide essential services to residents of small towns and isolated communities. In an effort to document the role sole community pharmacies play in their local healthcare system and to monitor their financial and operational status we conducted a survey in 2008 of 401 community pharmacists that owned the only retail outlet in their community. Pharmacist-owners in independent pharmacies located at least 10 miles from the next closest retail pharmacy were interviewed to determine their reliance on prescription sales and to understand their store's current financial position.