What Do You Do When Your Retail Pharmacy Closes Its Doors

Published November 4, 2024

Recently, there have been reports in the news about retail pharmacies, both small neighborhood pharmacies as well as larger chain pharmacies such as Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS, closing hundreds of their stores across the United States. The reasons for these closures vary; however, in most cases it is because the payment received from insurance companies for prescription medicines, especially for smaller pharmacies, is not enough to keep the store open. So, the companies end up closing the stores that are not profitable. Unfortunately, this means many people, especially those living in small towns, have to get prescriptions filled at pharmacies that are farther away. So, how will these closures impact people who rely on their local pharmacy to fill their prescriptions?

Your pharmacy may send you a notification that they are closing their doors. If they do, it is important to read the information they send you about transferring your prescriptions to another pharmacy. You may need to go to the store to talk to the pharmacy staff about what the next steps are in transferring your prescriptions. In addition, you may want to contact your insurance provider, especially if you take a medicine that is only provided by a specialty pharmacy or if you want to use a mail order pharmacy.

In some cases, the pharmacy may not notify you that they are closing. They can refill prescriptions and fill new prescriptions up until the store closes for good. If you are not informed that your pharmacy is closing, you may run out of your medicine and not be able to refill it when needed. You may have to travel miles to another pharmacy to get your prescriptions filled. Your doctor may have to send a new prescription to the new pharmacy, but may need to examine you first. This all takes time, so it is important to plan ahead.

In addition, once prescriptions are transferred to another pharmacy, errors can happen. We previously wrote about an error that happened when a woman moved to a different state. She had all of her prescriptions transferred to a pharmacy near her new home. However, the new pharmacy mistakenly filled a prescription for a medicine that her doctor had stopped a few months earlier. Other cases have been reported in which certain medicines were missed when prescriptions were transferred to the new pharmacy.

Here’s what you can do: Don’t be afraid to ask if the store will be closing. If you call the pharmacy, you may not be able to get through to speak to someone right away, so be patient. And the person answering the call may not know all the store closing details to answer your concerns. Ask to speak to the pharmacist or store manager. It may be better to go to the pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist or store manager in person. If your pharmacy is closing, here are some things you should consider:

• Go to the pharmacy and ask for a printed list (called a Dispense History list) of all the medicines that you received in the past year. You may need to give them photo identification, so be sure to bring one with you. The pharmacy staff should be able to quickly print this list. Make sure you compare it with the medicines you currently take, so that only the medicines you are presently taking are the prescriptions that get transferred.
• Make sure you have enough medicine to last until your prescriptions get transferred. This is especially important for medicines that you take every day to treat chronic health conditions.
• If you currently get prescriptions filled at more than one pharmacy, ask to have all of your prescriptions transferred to the pharmacy that is not closing. You may have to get the pharmacist at the store that is not closing to contact the pharmacy that is closing to request the transfer.
• Anytime you have a doctor’s appointment or require hospital services, make sure to notify the prescriber that your primary pharmacy has changed. Ensure they update your new pharmacy information in their computer system. You may be able to update this information in your patient portal.
• Share your medicine list with the new pharmacy; make sure it includes the name of the medicine, the dose, and why to take the medicine; and make sure all your current prescriptions were transferred.
• When picking up prescriptions at the new pharmacy, be sure to ask to speak to the pharmacist so you can:
  • tell them about any allergies you have
  • check the medicine when you pick it up to make sure it is correct (right drug, right dose, right directions)
  • make sure your name is on the label
  • ask questions if anything looks different or does not seem right
• If you are considering using an online pharmacy, ensure it is on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s (NABP’s) searchable list of accredited online pharmacies that comply with quality assurance criteria. We have previously written about the risks of fake online pharmacies and the dangers of purchasing medicines on the internet.

Remember, the new pharmacy may be busier than usual, as they are likely processing many prescriptions that were transferred from the pharmacy that closed. Prescription wait times may be longer than usual and it’s essential to plan ahead to ensure you do not run out of medicine. When picking up your prescriptions from the new pharmacy for the first time, extra caution needs to be taken to ensure you receive the medicine that you expect and that it is correct.

As always, it is important to keep the list of medicine you take up to date and with you at all times.

‍

‍