A RECENT change at Walgreens has sparked some patient fears as several pharmacy chains continue nationwide closures.
The company finalized a deal this month that had been in discussions since the end of last year.
A few months after a definitive agreement signing in March, Walgreens has been officially purchased by private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $10 billion, per a press release.
Part of the deal means that Walgreens Boots Alliance and its subsidiaries are split into five separate and privately-owned operations.
There is the pharmacy retailer Walgreens, pharmaceutical wholesaler Boots Group, specialty pharmacy company Shields Health Solutions, post-acute care brand CareCentrix, and the primary health clinic chain of VillageMD.
Walgreens also has a new CEO under Mike Motz, formerly at the helm of Staples US Retail, which Sycamore Partners acquired in 2017 for $6.9 billion.
Current Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth is stepping away to serve as a director, according to the release.
Wentworth was appointed as CEO of Walgreens in October 2023.
“Today represents an exciting new chapter and turning point for Walgreens,” Motz said in a statement.
“As a private organization, alongside our dedicated team members, we are renewing focus on our core pharmacy and retail platform, our stores and our customer experience — building on the progress that’s been made.”
EXPERT CONCERNS
While the $10 billion was heavily supported by Walgreens shareholders, some industry experts worry that this decision will ultimately lead to more layoffs and closures for the brand, per what they told Healthcare Brew.
This was emphasized by Shane Jerominski, co-founder of the Pharmacy Guild, a pharmacy workers union that represents some staff at CVS and Walgreens locations.
Jerominski said the acquisition “raises serious concerns for pharmacy professionals and the patients we serve,” in an email to Healthcare Brew.
“When private equity firms take over, patients and communities are too often left paying the price through store closures, reduced staffing, and prescription errors — all of which jeopardize safe patient care,” he said.
The expert also continued that it’s crucial the Walgreens restructuring doesn’t “come at the expense of patient safety or the dignity of the professionals who keep our pharmacies running.”
Patient access to pharmacy locations was also a top concern for Cherokee Layson-Wolf, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
Walgreens Stores Closing in 2025
Walgreens plans on closing stores in 33 states, with the stores on the chopping block subject to change as the chain announces more closures:
California:
- 135 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102.
- 5300 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94124.
- 5280 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118.
- 1750 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122.
- 1630 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112.
- 1201 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116.
- 1363 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94115.
- 1189 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110.
- 825 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103.
- 1301 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94109.
- 3201 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94123.
- 1524 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109.
- 5055 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609.
- 301 E 18th St, Oakland, CA 94606.
- 3434 High St, Oakland, CA 94619.
- 5809 Foothill Blvd, Oakland, CA 94605.
- 1150 Macdonald Ave, Richmond, CA 94801.
- 4220 Missouri Flat Rd, Placerville, CA 95667.
- 6199 Sunrise Blvd, Citrus Heights, CA 95610.
- 840 El Camino Ave, Sacramento, CA 95815.
- 1401 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818.
- 7155 24th St, Sacramento, CA 95822.
- 275 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94111.
- 3232 Foothill Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601.
Colorado:
- 12051 E Mississippi Ave, Aurora, CO 80012
- 6395 Sheridan Boulevard, Arvada, CO 80003
- 1601 W 84th Ave, Federal Heights, CO 80260
- 6360 E Evans Ave, Denver, CO 80222
- 3555 Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80205
- 15301 E Iliff Ave, Aurora, CO 80013
- 3143 W Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
- 10501 E Colfax Ave, Aurora, CO 80010
- 300 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219
- 3067 S Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO 80227
- 4745 Arapahoe Ave STE 120, Boulder, CO 80303
- 1041 Main St, Longmont, CO 80501
- 2608 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206
- 4305 E Platte Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80915
Connecticut:
- 11 Meriden Rd, Waterbury, CT 06705
- 436 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT 06511
- 161 Washington St, Hartford, CT 06106
- 25 E High St #8, East Hampton, CT 06424
- 200 Westminster Rd, Canterbury, CT 06331
- 940 Quaker Ln S, West Hartford, CT 06110
- 1606 Barnum Ave, Stratford, CT 06614
- 188 Union St, Vernon, CT 06066
Delaware:
- 3301 Lancaster Pike, Wilmington, DE 19805.
- 1900 Maryland Ave, Wilmington, DE 19805.
- 32979 Coastal Hwy, Bethany Beach, DE 19930.
- 124 E Main St, Newark, DE 19711.
- 4201 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803.
Florida:
- 12041 Palm Beach Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33905.
- 2349 N Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL 32303.
Georgia:
- 1880 Watson Blvd, Warner Robins, GA 31093.
- 3228 Wrightsboro Rd, Augusta, GA 30909.
- 25 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
- 5701 Ogeechee Rd, Savannah, GA 31405.
- 595 Piedmont Ave NE Ste 100, Atlanta, GA 30308.
- 25 Peachtree St, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Illinois:
- 3405 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60616.
- 7109 S Jeffery Blvd, Chicago, IL 60649.
- 841 Bloomington Rd, Champaign, IL 61820.
- 9148 S Commercial Ave, Chicago, IL 60617.
- 4005 W 26th St, Chicago, IL 60623.
- 7111 S Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60636.
- 2515 Knoxville Ave, Peoria, IL 61604.
- 2 N State St 1 1, Chicago, IL 60602.
- 2 E Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60605.
- 3726 W 16th St, Chicago, IL 60623.
- 3401 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60624.
- 842 E Main St, Danville, IL 61832.
- 3601 16th St, Moline, IL 61265.
- 7880 Winn Rd, Spring Grove, IL 60081.
- 4000 W 59th St, Chicago, IL 60629.
- 4740 W 95th St, Oak Lawn, IL 60453.
- 222 W Court St, Kankakee, IL 60901.
- 1001 N Main St, Elburn, IL 60119.
Indiana:
- 2410 N Coliseum Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46805.
- 10170 Maysville Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46835.
- 102 E Hively Ave, Elkhart, IN 46517.
- 2015 Covert Ave, Evansville, IN 47714.
- 1702 E Spring St, New Albany, IN 47150.
- 100 N Memorial Dr, New Castle, IN 47362.
- 501 E National Ave, Brazil, IN 47834, United States.
- 1195 N State St, Greenfield, IN 46140.
Iowa:
- 606 Walnut St, Des Moines, IA 50309.
- 1805 N Brady St, Davenport, IA 52803.
Kentucky:
- 402 2nd St, Henderson, KY 42420.
- 3312 KY-54, Owensboro, KY 42303.
- 101 E Reynolds Rd, Lexington, KY 40517.
- 3120 Pimlico Pkwy Ste 178, Lexington, KY 40517.
- 951 S Main St, Nicholasville, KY 40356.
- 901 N Main St, Nicholasville, KY 40356.
Louisiana:
- 3747 Moss St, Lafayette, LA 70507.
- 2810 Louisville Ave, Monroe, LA 71201.
Maine:
- 713 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102.
- 123 Main St, Fairfield, ME 04937.
- 461 Main St, Saco, ME 04072.
- 35 Park St, Milo, ME 04463.
- 233 US-1, Scarborough, ME 04074.
Maryland:
- 8701 Georgia Ave Ste 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
- 12222 Veirs Mill Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20906.
- 300 Pulaski Hwy, Joppatowne, MD 21085.
- 1300 E North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21213.
- 3700 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21211.
- 19 E Fayette St, Baltimore, MD 21202.
Massachusetts:
- 85 Huttleston Ave, Fairhaven, MA 02719.
- 32 Union St, Easthampton, MA 01027.
- 99 Westfield St, West Springfield, MA 01089.
- 324 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02171.
- 50 Lincoln St, North Adams, MA 01247.
- 707 State St, Springfield, MA 01109.
- 78 Main St, Westfield, MA 01085.
- 7 E Silver St, Westfield, MA 01085.
Michigan:
- 918 Riverview Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49048.
- 14048 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203.
- 15411 Southfield Rd, Allen Park, MI 48101.
- 640 N Milford Rd, Milford Charter Twp, MI 48381.
- 3880 Wilder Rd, Bay City, MI 48706.
- 107 Kercheval Ave, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236.
Minnesota:
- 602 S Front St, Mankato, MN 56001.
- 4205 Egan Dr, Savage, MN 55378.
- 4916 France Ave S, Edina, MN 55410.
- 600 County Hwy 10, Blaine, MN 55434.
- 1112 Civic Center Dr NW, Rochester, MN 55901.
- 1274 Town Centre Dr, Eagan, MN 55123.
Mississippi:
- 804 Spring St, Waynesboro, MS 39367.
- 955 N State St, Jackson, MS 39202.
- 204 Hwy 80 W, Clinton, MS 39056.
- 1583 E County Line Rd, Jackson, MS 39211.
Missouri:
- 3720 Kingshighway Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63115.
- 2310 McCausland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63143.
- 1400 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63106.
- 1605 W 7th St, Joplin, MO 64801.
New Jersey:
- 642 Newman Springs Rd suite a ste a, Lincroft, NJ 07738.
- 901 Main St, Asbury Park, NJ 07712.
- 37 Old Hwy 22, Clinton, NJ 08809.
New Mexico:
- 1861 Main St NW, Los Lunas, NM 87031.
- 9700 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112.
New York:
- 50 N Main St, Ellenville, NY 12428.
- 153 Main St, Owego, NY 13827.
- 792 W Main St, Rochester, NY 14611.
- 5651 Whiskey Hill Rd, Wolcott, NY 14590.
- 77 7th Ave, New York, NY 10011.
North Carolina:
- 418 US-264, Belhaven, NC 27810.
- 3333 Silas Creek Pkwy, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.
- 418 N, 418 Marshall St N, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
- 2019 N Main St, High Point, NC 27262.
- 1812 Holloway St, Durham, NC 27703.
- 456 Conover Blvd W, Conover, NC 28613.
Ohio:
- 4121 vacuum Ave, Dayton, OH 45402.
Oklahoma:
- 950 E Taft Ave, Sapulpa, OK 74066, United States.
- 6000 S Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73159.
- 9011 S Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73159.
- 6505 E 71st St, Tulsa, OK 74133.
- 4400 NW 23rd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73107.
Oregon:
- 210 E Barnett Rd, Medford, OR 97501.
- 2727 NE Hwy 20, Bend, OR 97701.
- 12335 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97230.
- 51670 Huntington Rd, La Pine, OR 97739.
Pennsylvania:
- 1 Yorktown Plz, Elkins Park, PA 19027.
South Carolina:
- 4520 Hard Scrabble Rd, Columbia, SC 29229.
- 6500 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia, SC 29209.
Tennessee:
- 1725 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916.
- 2 N Main St, Memphis, TN 38103.
Texas:
- 5300 N Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77096.
- 4847 Slide Rd, Lubbock, TX 79414.
- 9705 Spencer Hwy, La Porte, TX 77571.
Utah:
- 7227 S State St, Midvale, UT 84047.
Virginia:
- 3130 Langston Blvd. , Arlington, VA 22201.
Washington:
- 5602 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98408
- 28817 Military Rd S, Federal Way, WA 98003
Wisconsin:
- Wisconsin
- 2625 W National Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53204
- 2222 W Capitol Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53206
- 7600 W Capitol Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53222
- 6707 W Hampton Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53218
- 620 W Oklahoma Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53215
- 2410 W Forest Home Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53215
- 10800 W Capitol Dr, Wauwatosa, WI 53222
- 1921 S Main St, West Bend, WI 53095
- 4518 Cottage Grove Rd, Madison, WI 53716
- 20 W Pioneer Rd, Fond du Lac, WI 54935
- 5201 N 91st St, Milwaukee, WI 53225
- 2826 N Doctor M.L.K. Jr Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53212
- 1720 W Washington St, West Bend, WI 53095
- 101 N Center Ave, Merrill, WI 54452
Source: Irish Star
CENTRAL FILL RELIANCE?
Layson-Wolf argued that Sycamore Partners could choose to consolidate several Walgreens pharmacy locations to rely on those that are “central fill.”
These are facilities that fill and transfer prescriptions to pharmacies.
Walgreens has 11 of them, known as micro-fulfillment centers, that send out prescriptions to over 4,500 stores, according to comments from Wentworth during a January earnings call.
At the time, the now ex-CEO said that he wanted to bump those numbers up to 6,000, and that may require more central fill locations, meaning fewer pharmacies, according to Layson-Wolf.
There are currently over 8,000 Walgreens locations nationwide.
The US Sun has contacted Walgreens for more information.
SLEW OF SHUTDOWNS
Wentworth already confirmed last year that the brand was on track for about 1,200 total location closures by 2027.
At least 500 are expected to be shuttered by the end of 2025 and at least 295 have closed their doors already, per recent data.
The acquisition by Sycamore Partners also greatly assists in Walgreens $1 billion cost-cutting program and the firing of hundreds of employees in recent months.
There have been financial struggles Walgreens has battled with for about the past decade.
Its fiscal performance hit a high point in 2015 with an evaluation at over $100 billion, but that drastically dropped to $7.5 billion in 2024, per The Wall Street Journal.
Reasonings for the dip were cited by Walgreens as a “worse-than-expected US consumer environment” among other “challenging” factors in the pharmaceutical industry.
Rite Aid also recently filed for its second bankruptcy and is shuttering over 1,000 stores.
CVS has even closed 23 stores in the same state this year amid a “bad policy” that could threaten millions of prescriptions.
