More Sacramento Rite Aid's close, fewer pharmacy options available for most vulnerable
SACRAMENTO — Rite Aid announced the closure of hundreds of stores earlier this year after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Over 30 stores in California are impacted, including at least five in the Sacramento region.
Those local closures are:
- 4890 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento
- 5409 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights
- 1309 Fulton Ave., Sacramento
- 4004 Foothills Blvd., Roseville
- 10570 Twin Cities Rd., Galt
For locally owned Pucci's Pharmacy, they are adjusting to the influx of customers since Rite Aid's announcement, meaning there would be fewer options in the area for people to fill their prescriptions.
"We have seen an increase in our volume of customers since Rite Aid announced closures," Pucci's Pharmacy owner Joel Hockman said. "A lot of those closures have been close geographically to our stores so by nature of that, customers have done some searching and have found us."
We spoke to customers at other popular Rite Aid stores, like the one closing off Freeport Boulevard on December 14, for their reaction to the news.
"I can tell you, this closing down is going to have a huge impact on the community because it's been a staple here for decades," said longtime resident Carl Lagerberg. "I've been coming here a long time since I lived in Hollywood Park and Land Park."
For the parents and grandparents of another longtime Sacramento resident, Ashley Steiner, she worries they will have a difficult time finding a place nearby that fits their pharmacy plan and is close enough to where they live to be realistic.
"They are on a fixed budget and limited insurance, there's not a lot of options," Steiner said. "I am most worried about them traveling and the amount of money it costs. It's concerning."
Steiner isn't alone. Pucci's Pharmacy has to spend a significant amount of time explaining why they aren't able to fill prescriptions for certain customers because of their pharmacy plans or who they use as a pharmacy provider.
"It comes down to economics. We do our best to service our community but if we don't get regulators to address the reimbursement issue, then it's just a matter of time," Hockman said.
Hockman regularly deals with what he considers the 'middleman' of services that limit their ability to help some with specific pharmacy requests.
"We can't always address everyone's needs, especially if they have a pharmacy plan or work with a pharmacy benefit manager and they underpay us," Hockman said.
It's another reason why some fear more closures from bigger chain companies like Rite Aid will lead to pharmacy deserts for some people, with few options to get much-needed medications filled.
In Citrus Heights, the most recent Rite Aid closure is the third in the area in the last five years. Rite Aid isn't the only major company slashing operating costs. CVS and Walgreens are also closing stores and have been making changes for years. CVS announced plans to close 900 stores by 2024.
Hockman says regulators and state lawmakers need to visit a pharmacy and watch daily operations to fully understand the challenges they face daily.