Once one of the largest U.S. pharmacy chains, Rite Aid closed its final locations Friday, marking the end of a failed comeback attempt.
The company emerged from bankruptcy in September 2024 after shuttering hundreds of stores, but less than a year later, it filed for bankruptcy again. In May, Rite Aid said it had secured $2 billion in financing as it sought a buyer to keep some locations open.
Later that month, the company sold its pharmacy services to several competitors — including Walgreens, CVS, Kroger and Albertsons. Those pharmacies now hold customers’ prescription records and are handling refills.
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A limited number of Rite Aid locations will remain open under a new name.
Rite Aid’s footprint fell from 2,100 stores several years ago to 1,300 earlier this year. By this week, it was down to fewer than 100.
Additional closures could worsen access to prescriptions in some areas. A 2024 Ohio State University study found that 46 percent of U.S. counties were “pharmacy deserts.”
“Poor access to pharmacies is often associated with lower medication adherence,” the study said. “Patients in socially vulnerable communities may lack the means to travel to other pharmacies or may have limited access to broadband internet to find telepharmacy options. Furthermore, pharmacies often offer diagnostic, preventive and emergency services. As high pharmacy desert density counties also have a lower primary care density, patients in these regions face increased barriers to accessing primary health care needs.”
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