Local pharmacy optimistic despite projected national chain closures

By Ashley Luthans

Walgreens is set to close thousands of stores by 2027, raising questions about the future of physical pharmacies, but staff at one locally owned pharmacy feel confident in their business.

Approximately 2,150 Walgreens storefronts will close in the next three years, according to Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have switched to providers that ship their medication to them, eliminating the need to visit a pharmacy.

Although this large chain may be struggling, staff at one local independent pharmacy say they are doing well.

Rex Robinson, a pharmacist at Rogers Pharmacy in St. Joseph, said that Rogers provides mailable medications to those in the area who need it.

Robinson said the pharmacy is doing so well because they have adapted to changes and continue to give the best service possible, despite the advantages of larger pharmacies.

“We’ve kind of defied the odds,” Robinson said. “We’re not a chain store, we’re an independent. We’ve found ways to compete and … we’ve got a lot of chain pharmacies that actually own insurance companies and direct that business towards them where the recipient doesn’t really have a choice. But, in spite of all that, our business is continuing to grow. So we found a way to compete and do it successfully.”

Robinson also emphasized the importance of connecting to consumers, something he believes that larger chains struggle with.

“You go to a chain store, you don’t know who you’re dealing with,” Robinson said. “There may be someone they have drive in from Wichita one week and Topeka the next. Here (at Rogers Pharmacy), you’re seeing the same people … and hopefully they’re people you trust and have no qualms about talking about medical issues with.”

Walgreens has yet to announce which storefronts will be closed.