It’s a rare RVer who doesn’t need some kind of prescription medication. But if you take extended RV road trips, getting your meds can be problematic. Many follow a pattern talked about by one RV-related website, The RVgeeks. “If you use a pharmacy that’s part of a national chain, you’re likely to have an easier time getting your prescriptions filled,” the site says. “These chains have pharmacies throughout the country that can access your file via a centralized database and fill/refill your scripts at your physician’s direction.” Second place on their list of national chains: Walgreens.
But Walgreens is shutting down many of its stores.
1,200 Walgreens to shutter
Walgreens just released its fourth-quarter financial report. Citing online competition, slow sales, and other woes, the big chain plans to shutter 1,200 locations in a “footprint optimization program.” At least 500 stores will vanish in its fiscal 2025 year.
At present, Walgreens runs nearly 9,000 stores. The 1,200 store shutdown means nearly 15% of them will be gone.
The “optimization” program is not the first time Walgreens has chopped off “slow performers” in its bricks-and-mortar ranks. Last June the big pharmacy chain announced 300 other store closures.
Financial “bad medicine” hits other pharmacy chains
If you’re a traveling RVer Walgreens fan, you could find yourself looking farther down the road to refill your medications. But Walgreens isn’t the only drug store chain having problems.
CVS, with a little over 9,100 retail locations, says it’s closing 900 stores. Rite Aid is now down to fewer than 2,100 stores after closing hundreds in a bankruptcy move.
This leaves Walmart in third place in the U.S. chain pharmacy world, with nearly 4,900 pharmacies in its stores, nationwide. While the big retailer pulled out of the urgent care medical business earlier this year, it’s not showing any signs of reducing its mortar-and-pestle interests.
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Walmart is not that prolific on the west coast. I just switched to Walgreens having my first prescriptions filled there today. My husband has used them for years all over the country for over 150,000 miles and never had a problem.
It still leaves thousands and thousands and thousands of pharmacies open across the country.
Some of the Walgreens we wanted to use aren’t open on Saturdays and Sundays. I couldn’t believe it.
Use Amazon Pharmacy and have your meds sent to you or to your PMB service. Works fine.
“and other woes” perhaps crime, retail theft and shoplifting? Maybe? When a drug store has to lock up bars of Zest or Dial and hire security guards to protect the Irish Spring the problem may be a deeper and more systemic one that is forcing these stores to close over 4,000 in 2 years. Let’s see. 4,000 stores X 40 employees is 160,000 jobs. The price of crime is high.
Greed? In casa grande az there are 3 Walgreens
too many for off season. Probably right for winter. We tried Walmart. If you like standing in line you’ll love them.
We have always use mom and pop pharmacies. NEVER big box pharmacies. But we are not full timers either. In that case I would use a mail order pharmacy.
Covid did a lot of damage to theses pharmacies when they refused to prescribe Ivermectin with a written doctors prescription. CVS and Walgreens corporate office sent out a letter telling each pharmacy not to fill these prescriptions. I was told this by a telmed doctor when I was trying to get medication.
Spot on Patty. I too avoid the corporate behemoths when able. When govt comes between the doctor and the patient for prescription meds, it trickles down sooner or later.
Thank you for the warning, Russ and Tina! Point taken. 🙂 Although we are far from full-time, we do take a long-term trip now and again, lasting up to four months. We will keep this in mind ahead of our next big trip. Have a great weekend and safe travels! 🙂