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Several Bartell Drugs, Rite Aid stores set to close
If you get your prescriptions filled at Rite Aid or Bartell Drugs, we now know which locations will be closing, now that Rite Aid has declared bankruptcy.
BELLEVUE, Wash. - If you get your prescriptions filled at Rite Aid or Bartell Drugs, we now know which locations will be closing, now that Rite Aid has declared bankruptcy.
Nearly a dozen of those stores closing are in Washington. Soon, customers will not only have to find a new place to shop, they'll need a new pharmacy to fill prescriptions.
"Wow," said Robert Sincioco, a Bartell Drugs customer "That's pretty crazy, honestly."
"It's unfortunate that this is happening," said Gabby Lacson, a Bartell Drugs customer.
Loyal customers are left in limbo.
"I had no idea this one was closing," Lacson said. "I knew that there were some Bartells closing."
These Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs stores are set to close in Washington state
Rite Aid plans to close more than 150 stores nationwide after filing for bankruptcy. Nearly a dozen of those stores are in Washington state.
"It's actually the first time I'm hearing that it's closing," Sincioco said. "That's kind of a shame really, because I loved going here when I was younger for like candy and stuff."
Two Bellevue locations and one Redmond store will close on the eastside. Two more locations will shutter in Seattle and Lynnwood.
Several Rite Aids are going out of business as well. That spans from the south sound where Renton, Mill Creek and Burien will lose a store. And down to Everett, east Lacey and Graham will be down a local pharmacy.
Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs serve as pharmacies for much of western Washington. Without them, some people will lose their nearest place to fill a prescription.
In a statement to FOX 13, Seattle and King County Public Health said:
"In general, pharmacies remain key distributors of vaccinations. We’ll continue to monitor for areas of the county with fewer vaccination providers so that we can work with healthcare providers to target vaccination resources to these areas."
RELATED: These Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs stores are set to close in Washington state
Bartell Drugs was founded in Washington more than 100 years ago in 1890.
"I've lived here for about seven or eight years and it's always been here and around downtown," Sincioco said.
"Yeah, it's a bummer," Lacson said.
"That'll be kind of sad to see it go," Sincioco said.
The Washington State Pharmacy Association released the following statement:
The Washington State Pharmacy Association is saddened by the closure of so many pharmacies this year including the recent Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs announcement. We are deeply concerned for the displaced patients and pharmacy staff at those locations. We appreciate the pharmacy professionals ensuring patients affected by these store closures don’t go without their medications. Pharmacy benefit manager business practices are causing these unprecedented closures and highlight the need for legislation at the state and federal level.