The Decline Of Drugstores In Texas And Across the US

Drugstores are an important need in any community they house pharmacies and being able to get medications is important.  Texas is a big state and drugstores are needed in every city and near every town. When a drugstore closes it hurts the community.

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Since 2019, over 3000 drugstores have closed in the United States.  Many of the big pharmacy/store chains have closed thousands of stores in the last 5 years.  Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy in October 2023.  Other stores, Walgreens and CVS have experienced losses and have cut multiple stores.

Drugstores were considered essential businesses during the pandemic, allowing them to remain open when other stores could not.  Although this might have helped the drugstore decline for a moment, the downfall has since been swift.

How many drugstores have closed?

CVS has closed over 600 stores and had plans to close 400 this year. Since filing for bankruptcy in October, Rite Aid has closed 200 stores. Walgreens had plans to close 200 stores and then added 150 more stores to the list in 2023.

Why are so many drugstores closing?

Loss of money, in many ways and many forms. Many drugstores are experiencing retail theft.

Many stores have placed everyday items behind locked cabinets to prevent theft.

It's no wonder so many stores are closing down.  No one wants to shop this way, and if this continues, shoppers may have to pay for the items as they are taken from the cabinets. A company cannot hire enough staff to ensure this type of shopping.  It's no wonder more stores are starting to turn to AI and scanning technology.  When technology is used, the cost is passed onto the customer.  When shopping is no longer affordable, stores close.

These closures hurt communities.

When a drugstore closes in a community, the people who rely on the store must travel miles away from their homes to get their prescriptions filled. This can be especially difficult for elderly individuals who may not be able to travel across town, or for those who don't have access to transportation. As a result, the entire community suffers from the lack of access to essential medications.

A CVS store at 317 Amarillo Blvd in Amarillo closed, resulting in limited access to government-insured prescriptions in the area. The closure means that residents now have to travel over 3 1/2 miles to reach another CVS, which is a challenge for many people in the Northside of Amarillo.

Read More: Pharmacy's Looming Departure to Leave North Amarillo in Dire Need |

All over Texas and the country, many communities are feeling this loss.  Let's hope this trend of drugstores closing ends soon.