Walgreens to close 1K+ U.S. locations over next 3 years

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – On Tuesday, Walgreens announced they’ll close 1,200 locations over the next three years.

People 8 News Now spoke with say their neighborhood Walgreens is the place they go to pick up medicine or make a quick shopping trip for anything from baby formula to makeup. Now, they’re worried about that being a thing of the past.

Shoppers like Giovanni Vazquez have called Walgreens their store for as long as they can remember.

“I’ve been shopping here my whole life, to be honest. I usually come here to get my medications and my baby supplies – food as well,” Vazquez said.

As of right now, Walgreens isn’t releasing which locations will close.
There are more than 60 in the valley and the threat of their disappearance leaves customers like Christine Quenneville concerned about employees.

“We don’t want that. We can’t afford for people to lose their jobs who can hardly afford to get by,” she said.

For Quenneville, those employees are familiar, friendly faces.

“There’s one gentleman that has been here for years and he’s super sweet. He calls me by name,” she said.

As for the staff in the lab coats, the closures represent the next phase of being a pharmacist, according to Roseman University’s College of Pharmacy.

In a statement to 8 News Now, they said “The shift we see in retail pharmacy is part of a larger trend towards value-based care. As healthcare focuses more on patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness, pharmacists are uniquely positioned as medication experts to help improve patient care and reduce overall healthcare costs.”

According to a representative from Roseman’s College of Pharmacy, as the profession evolves and expands, they’re committed to making sure their graduates are ready to seize those opportunities.

The closures are starting soon, within the next fiscal year Walgreens will shut down 500 stores.

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