Why You’ll See Far Fewer Pharmacies in New York State Next Year

New York State residents may soon have to travel much further to visit the pharmacy.

Since the pandemic, we've become even more reliant on the local pharmacy. It's been a comforting place to not only get life-saving medicine and vaccines but also seek medical advice when a doctor is not available.

Sadly, it appears that New Yorkers will see many of its pharmacies close down in 2024. While Rite-Aid is dealing with possible bankruptcy and Walgreens is dealing with management changes, even the most successful pharmacy chain in the country is now planning to shutter stores throughout New York State.

Pharmacies Already Planning to Pull Out of New York State

According to The Street, Rite-Aid is on the verge of closing down between 400 and 500 of its stores in order to save the company from financial ruin. The company is facing possible bankruptcy and many analysts question whether Rite-Aid will be able to dig itself out. The Rite Aid in the City of Poughkeepsie already closed its doors in May.

Walgreens announced earlier this year that it was going to close 150 locations in 2024. The company's CEO recently stepped down, leaving Walgreens with a lack of leadership. With an interim CEO now at the helm, a search for the company's new leader is underway, leaving the company's future up in the air.

Now CVS Will Close At Least 900 Stores

As if losing Rite-Aid and Walgreens locations was bad enough, New Yorkers will now need to brace for when CVS will begin shuttering even more stores in the Empire State. Despite being the one pharmacy chain that's been able to navigate the post-pandemic world with financial success, CVS has announced that it will close 300 stores every year for the next three years.

The chain will permanently close at least 900 of its stores in order to reduce what they call "store density". Stores that the company believes to be redundant have already been shuttered across the country, including in Albany, New York.

What This Means for New Yorkers

While it's fair to say that some of the more densely populated areas of the state already have far too many pharmacies, residents living in rural areas already have to travel great distances to get prescriptions filled.

CVS has pledged to take this into account when they decide on which stores to close, but there's no guarantee that some New York areas won't find themselves without a nearby location.

Online pharmacies may be able to fill in some of the gaps, but won't solve the issue of easily accessing vaccinations and other medical needs.