CVS stores across the nation will be closing their doors permanently. The closures are due to “local market dynamics, population shifts, a community’s store density, and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community,” according to a spokesperson for the pharmacy.
One of the closures expected to have the biggest impact on the local community will be the CVS on 132nd and 14th in College Point, Queens, New York. This one is set to close on April 5.
Between competing with online retailers like Amazon and Target, and trying to keep up with costs after the COVID-19 Pandemic, CVS Pharmacy plans to close 300 stores by the end of 2023, and 300 more by the end of 2024. This will close out nearly 15% of the pharmacies across the United States.
CVS says they’re offering employment opportunities for current employees at neighboring locations for as long as they’re open. As for customers, prescriptions will also be pushed to nearby CVS stores.
A lot of the time, the pharmacy a person goes to for prescriptions is determined by the insurance used to pay for the medication. If one pharmacy doesn’t accept a particular health insurance, a person will go to a different pharmacy that does take their insurance. The issue some people are facing, in New York especially, is that the Queens CVS accepted most health insurance. Now that they’re closing, these people already know the other local pharmacies don’t accept their insurance, and they’re not thrilled about how much further they’ll have to travel (or how much extra they’ll have to pay for delivery) for their medications.
Senior citizens, severely ill and immobile individuals, parents caring for sick kids, and people caring for their parents will all have to shop around for pharmacy services. The CVS’s spokesperson says, “Maintaining access to pharmacy services in the communities we serve is an important factor we consider when making store closure decisions.”
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