Rite Aid is closing Merced-area store. When, where & what happens to prescriptions
Rite Aid is closing a Merced-area store after filing for bankruptcy for a second time in early May.
The nationwide pharmacy chain has flagged more than 470 stores across the United States for closure since Chapter 11 proceedings began about a month ago, business media company Fast Company previously reported.
The closures will impact locations across the region, including a store in Fresno and five locations in the Sacramento area, The Fresno Bee and The Sacramento Bee reported.
In a May 5 news release, Rite Aid CEO Matt Schroeder said the company is facing “financial challenges, intensified by the rapidly evolving retail and health care landscapes in which we operate.”
“For more than 60 years, Rite Aid has been a proud provider of pharmacy services and products to our loyal customers,” he said in the release. “As we move forward, our key priorities are ensuring uninterrupted pharmacy services for our customers and preserving jobs for as many associates as possible.”
Here’s what you need to know:
What is Rite Aid?
The national pharmacy chain now known as Rite Aid began as Thrift D Discount Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1962, according to the company’s website.
Rite Aid aims is “to be a successful chain of friendly, neighborhood drugstores that are committed to helping customers make everyday life a little easier and healthier,” the company said on its website.
In addition to operating in-site pharmacies, Rite Aid sells medicines, vitamins, cosmetics and household products.
As of Tuesday, June 3, Rite Aid had more than 1,200 locations across the United States, including 300-plus stores in California.
Rite Aid has struggled to compete with other drug retailers for years, resulting in a weakened competitive position, elevated financial leverage and limited cash flow for the company, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
The company first filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2023.
On May 5, the pharmacy chain announced it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again.
Where is drugstore closing in Fresno?
As of Tuesday, one Rite Aid location was slated to close in the Merced area, according to various media outlets.
Here’s where:
1317 East Pacheco Blvd. in Los Banos
When will local pharmacy close?
According to Newsweek, Rite Aid will close several stores across California sometime in June.
The Los Banos location will shut its doors on Monday, June 23, a store employee told The Fresno Bee.
What will happen to my prescriptions? Can I still get refills?
Rite Aid has entered into a series of sale agreements and pharmacy services transition agreements, the company said in a May 15 news release.
This agreement includes the rolling transition of pharmacy assets from more than 1,000 store locations across the United States to operators including CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Albertson, Kroger and Giant Eagle.
“During the transition, Rite Aid stores will remain open, and customers can continue to access their pharmacy services, including prescription refills and immunizations, without interruption,” Rite Aid said in a May 15 news release.
That means Rite Aid Pharmacy customers can expect to have services transferred to a nearby drugstore.
The move is also aimed at “preserving jobs for some of our valued team members,” Schroeder said in the release.
Where are Rite Aids stores still open in Merced area?
As of Tuesday, a total of two Rite Aid locations remained open in the Merced area, including:
- 3142 G St. in Merced
Are other pharmacy chains shutting stores?
Two other major chains have announced plans to close down stores in recent years.
CVS announced it would shut down about 270 stores nationwide in 2025, according to The Sacramento Bee’s archives.
Walgreens announced a plan to close 1,200 stores over the next three years as part of the chain’s business strategy, a company spokesperson told The Bee in May.
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