Pharmacy closures create pharmacy deserts in vulnerable communities
As pharmacy chains like Walgreens and CVS close across the country, their absence is turning some communities into pharmacy deserts.
CVS Pharmacy announced in an Oct. 15 news release that it will take over certain Rite Aid assets across the United States, including prescription files for 626 stores.
The drugstore chain acquired stores in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and prescriptions in 15 states, giving the company more than 9 million former Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs patients.
“We are helping maintain and expand access to convenient and reliable pharmacy care across the United States and are expanding our retail footprint and presence in local communities,” Len Shankman, president of pharmacy and consumer wellness for CVS Health, said in a release.
The company said it employs more than 3,500 former Rite Aid and Bartell Drug employees and that most stores that received prescription files from Rite Aid are located within three miles of former Rite Aid stores.
CVS announced on May 21 that it had approved the acquisition of bankruptcy assets. According to Reuters, Rite Aid found buyers for customer files in 810 stores, but could not find buyers for files in 200 other stores.
Rite Aid announced in May that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This is the second time since October 2023. The store closed on October 3rd.
Where did all the other Rite Aid assets go?
Walgreens received prescription files from certain Rite Aid pharmacy locations in nine states, a company spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY in May. Rite Aid prescription files were also transferred to operating companies including Albertsons, Kroger and Giant Eagle, USA TODAY previously reported.
“Rite Aid’s top priority is to ensure that as many of our loyal customers as possible continue to receive the pharmacy services and care they need without interruption,” Rite Aid CEO Matt Schroeder said in a statement after the transfer was approved.
Thrifty Ice Cream, a longtime symbol of the pharmacy chain, has been sold to a holding company tied to Monster Beverage Corp. executives Hilton Schlossberg and Rodney Sachs. “We plan to revitalize Thrifty without changing the core of what has made it unforgettable for over 85 years,” Hillrod Holdings said in an Aug. 7 press release.
Contributor: USA TODAY’s Jonathan Limehouse
