News
Why community pharmacies are closing – and what to do if your neighborhood location shutters
Lucas A. Berenbrok, University of Pittsburgh; Michael Murphy, The Ohio State University, and Sophia Herbert, University of Pittsburgh
Neighborhood pharmacies are rapidly shuttering.
Not long ago, Walgreens, one of the nation’s biggest pharmacy chains, announced plans to close 1,200 stores over the next three years. That’s part of a larger trend that has seen nearly 7,000 pharmacy locations close since 2019, with more expected in the coming years.
Many community pharmacies are struggling to stay open due to an overburdened workforce, shrinking reimbursement rates for prescription drugs and limited opportunities to bill insurers for services beyond dispensing medications.
As trained pharmacists who advocate for and take care of patients in community settings, we’ve witnessed this decline firsthand. The loss of local pharmacies threatens individual and community access to medications, pharmacist expertise and essential public health resources.
The changing role of pharmacies
Community pharmacies – which include independently owned, corporate-chain and other retail pharmacies in neighborhood settings – have changed a lot over the past decades. What once were simple medication pickup points have evolved into hubs for health and wellness. Beyond dispensing prescriptions, pharmacists today provide vaccinations, testing and treatment for infectious diseases, access to hormonal birth control and other clinical services they’re empowered to provide by federal and state laws.
Given their importance, then, why have so many community pharmacies been closing?
There are many reasons, but the most important is reduced reimbursement for prescription drugs. Most community pharmacies operate under a business model centered on dispensing medications that relies on insurer reimbursements and cash payments from patients. Minor revenue comes from front-end sales of over-the-counter products and other items.
However, pharmacy benefit managers – companies that manage prescription drug benefits for insurers and employers – have aggressively cut reimbursement rates in an effort to lower drug costs in recent years. As a result, pharmacists often have to dispense prescription drugs at very low margins or even at a loss. In some cases, pharmacists are forced to transfer prescriptions to other pharmacies willing to absorb the financial hit. Other times, pharmacists choose not to stock these drugs at all.
And it’s not just mom-and-pop operations feeling the pinch. Over the past four years, the three largest pharmacy chains have announced plans to close hundreds of stores nationwide. CVS kicked off the trend in 2021 by announcing plans to close 900 pharmacy locations. In late 2023, Rite Aid said that thousands of its stores would be at risk for closure due to bankruptcy. And late in 2024, Walgreens announced its plans to close 1,200 stores over the next three years.
To make matters worse, pharmacists, like many other health care providers, have been facing burnout due to high stress and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, pharmacy school enrollment has declined, worsening the workforce shortage just as an impending shortfall of primary care physicians looms.
Why pharmacy accessibility matters
The increasing closure of community pharmacies has far-reaching consequences for millions of Americans. That’s because neighborhood pharmacies are one of the most accessible health care locations in the country, with an estimated 90% of Americans living within 5 miles of one.
However, research shows that “pharmacy deserts” are more common in marginalized communities, where people need accessible health care the most. For example, people who live in pharmacy deserts are also more likely to have a disability that makes it hard or impossible to walk. Many of these areas are also classified as medically underserved areas or health professional shortage areas. As pharmacy closures accelerate, America’s health disparities could get even worse.
So if your neighborhood pharmacy closes, what should you do?
While convenience and location matter, you might want to consider other factors that can help you meet your health care needs. For example, some pharmacies have staff who speak your native language, independent pharmacy business owners may be active in your community, and many locations offer over-the-counter products like hormonal contraception, the overdose-reversal drug naloxone and hearing aids.
You may also consider locations – especially corporate-owned pharmacies – that also offer urgent care or primary care services. In addition, most pharmacies offer vaccinations, and some offer test-and-treat services for infectious diseases, diabetes education and help with quitting smoking.
What to ask if your pharmacy closes
If your preferred pharmacy closes and you need to find another one, keep the following questions in mind:
• What will happen to your old prescriptions? When a pharmacy closes, another pharmacy may buy its prescriptions. Ask your pharmacist if your prescriptions will be automatically transferred to a nearby pharmacy, and when this will occur.
• What’s the staffing situation like at other pharmacies? This is an important factor in choosing a new pharmacy. What are the wait times? Can the team accommodate special situations like emergency refills or early refills before vacations? Does the pharmacist have a relationship with your primary care physician and your other prescribers?
• Which pharmacies accept your insurance? A simple call to your insurer can help you understand where your prescriptions are covered at the lowest cost. And if you take a medication that’s not covered by insurance, or if you’re uninsured, you should ask if the pharmacy can help you by offering member pricing or manufacturer coupons and discounts.
• What are your accessibility needs? Pharmacies often offer services to make your care more accessible and convenient. These may include medication packaging services, drive-thru windows and home delivery. And if you’re considering switching to a mail-order pharmacy, you should ask if it has a pharmacist to answer questions by phone or during telehealth visits.
Remember that it’s best to have all your prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy chain or location so that your pharmacist can perform a safety check with your complete medication list. Drug interactions can be dangerous.
Community pharmacies have been staples of neighborhoods for more than a century. Unfortunately, current trends in pharmacy closures pose real threats to public health. We hope lawmakers address the underlying systemic issues so more Americans don’t lose access to their medications, health services and pharmacists.
Lucas A. Berenbrok, Associate Professor of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh; Michael Murphy, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science, The Ohio State University, and Sophia Herbert, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The Long Track Back
LA Metro Locks In Vermont BRT Funding as World Cup Results Point Toward 2028
Metro’s World Cup service carried 212,865 passenger trips across eight matches. Its after-action report points to strong demand while identifying bus lanes, shuttle frequency, parking prices, and shade as priorities for future major events.
Last Updated on September 21, 2026 by Daily News Staff
A fully funded rapid-bus project and more than 212,000 World Cup shuttle trips offer two revealing signs of how Los Angeles is preparing for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
LA Metro has reached a major funding milestone for one of its most important bus projects while releasing new evidence that transit can move a significant share of spectators during major international events.
A newly issued Metro report confirms that the Federal Transit Administration executed a $149.9 million Small Starts grant agreement for the Vermont Transit Corridor Bus Rapid Transit project on September 2, 2026. Metro now describes the proposed $413.8 million life-of-project budget as fully funded through federal, state and local sources.
Separately, Metro’s official review of the 2026 FIFA World Cup found that its special bus network carried 212,865 passenger trips during eight matches in Inglewood—approximately 20 percent of total match attendance.
Together, the developments show Metro moving from planning toward delivery: building permanent improvements for one of Los Angeles County’s busiest bus corridors while applying lessons from the World Cup to the much larger transportation challenge awaiting the region in 2028.
Vermont Avenue BRT moves closer to construction
The Vermont Transit Corridor would create a 12.4-mile, all-day bus rapid transit route between Sunset Boulevard and 120th Street. It would connect with the B, C, D and E rail lines and include 26 enhanced stations at 13 locations.
Metro’s existing Vermont Avenue service carries approximately 38,000 weekday boardings but operates through some of the region’s most congested streets. The BRT project would add dedicated side-running bus lanes, upgraded stations, improved lighting, transit-signal priority, real-time arrival information and pedestrian-safety improvements.
Metro estimates that the project could attract approximately 12,000 additional daily riders while improving the speed and reliability of every bus operating through the corridor.
The funding package includes:
- $149.9 million from the FTA Small Starts program
- $106.34 million from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program
- $81.06 million from California’s SB 1 Local Partnership Program
- $44.49 million in Proposition C funding
- $25 million from Measure M
- $5 million from the state Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program
- $2 million in federal Community Project Funding
Metro anticipates authorizing and executing additional early-work packages beginning in the fourth quarter of 2026. Major construction is expected to begin in fall 2026, with passenger service targeted for June 2028—just weeks before the Olympic Games begin in Los Angeles.
That is a more precise schedule than earlier project information, which described construction as beginning in late 2026 or early 2027 and service starting generally in time for the Games.
The $413.8 million life-of-project budget still requires final Metro Board approval. The federal grant agreement, however, removes a major financial uncertainty and gives Metro a clearer path toward construction.
World Cup transit carried one in five spectators
Metro’s World Cup after-action report provides the most complete picture yet of how the agency performed during its first major test ahead of 2028.
Metro deployed 300 buses over 15 special routes connecting SoFi Stadium with rail stations, transit hubs and temporary park-and-ride locations across Los Angeles and Orange counties. The service carried 212,865 passenger trips over eight matches, including 31,536 trips on the busiest match day.
According to Metro, the operation recorded no missed trips caused by mechanical problems, no traffic incidents and no safety incidents. The agency reported 100 percent fleet availability.
Customer surveys were also favorable. Metro said 91 percent of special-shuttle riders were satisfied with the service, while 93 percent indicated they would likely use a similar direct-service option during the 2028 Games. Perceived safety received a 96 percent satisfaction rating.
Contactless payment played a significant role. Approximately 72 percent of World Cup shuttle riders paid directly with a contactless credit or debit card—a systemwide feature Metro launched shortly before the tournament.
The operation was not without lessons. Riders and participating agencies identified several areas needing improvement, including dedicated bus lanes, more frequent shuttles, lower park-and-ride prices, additional shade, better group-payment options and more seating for passengers with accessibility needs.
Those concerns become more consequential when looking toward 2028. The Olympics and Paralympics will last longer than the World Cup, involve substantially more events and disperse spectators across venues throughout the region. An operation that succeeded for eight matches must therefore be expanded without disrupting everyday bus and rail riders.
A glimpse of Metro’s 2028 strategy
The Vermont BRT and World Cup results represent different sides of the same challenge.
The BRT project is a permanent investment intended to improve everyday mobility in East Hollywood, Koreatown, Exposition Park, South Los Angeles, West Athens and Westmont. Its Olympic value is important, but its lasting value will be measured by whether buses become faster and more dependable for the thousands of residents who already use the corridor.
The World Cup service, meanwhile, demonstrates that direct event shuttles can persuade a meaningful share of spectators to leave their cars behind. It also reveals the extraordinary staffing, equipment, coordination and street priority required to make those services work.
Metro has now shown that the model can succeed at World Cup scale. The next test is whether the agency can complete projects such as the Vermont BRT on schedule and turn a successful temporary operation into a repeatable regional system for 2028—and beyond.
Primary sources
- LA Metro: Vermont Transit Corridor BRT life-of-project budget report
- Federal Transit Administration: Vermont Avenue BRT project profile
- LA Metro: 2026 FIFA World Cup debrief
The Long Track Back examines the projects, decisions and turning points reshaping public transportation across Los Angeles County.
The Long Track Back follows the history and future of Los Angeles transit—from the lines the region lost to the rail and bus projects reshaping how people move today. Explore the decisions, construction milestones, and ridership trends behind LA’s changing network.
Update (September 22, 2026): Metro’s separate 2028 Games mobility report explains what happens next with the World Cup lessons. Metro is using its observations and rider surveys to refine Olympic transit plans, but says it needs funding certainty by the end of 2026 to keep major preparations on schedule. The report does not announce a change to the World Cup ridership figures cited above. (File #: 2026-0617)
Community
PenFed Foundation Raises Over $1.2M for Veterans and Military Families at 23rd Annual Military Heroes Golf Classic
The PenFed Foundation says it raised over $1.2 million for veterans and military families at its 23rd annual Military Heroes Golf Classic.
The PenFed Foundation for Military Heroes said it raised more than $1.2 million to support veterans and military families during its 23rd annual Military Heroes Golf Classic, held Monday, Aug. 31, according to a PRNewswire release. The nonprofit, based in the Washington, D.C. region, focuses on helping veterans transition “from service to success” through programs and grants aimed at military-connected communities.
“We are deeply grateful to our partners and supporters whose generosity and dedication make this event—and the Foundation’s work—possible,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Bradford J. “B.J.” Shwedo, president of the PenFed Foundation, in a statement announcing the fundraising total.
At a dinner held the night before the Golf Classic, PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck recognized Ed Cody for 25 years of service on the foundation’s board of directors. Cody also serves as chairman of the PenFed Credit Union board and was credited with helping guide initiatives including Defender’s Lodge, the Afghan Rescue and Resettlement Program, the Veteran Entrepreneur Program, and grants supporting wounded, ill, and injured service members.
The foundation said it has provided more than $55 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, and military families since it was founded in 2001. It also noted that PenFed Credit Union covers salaries and administrative costs, allowing more donations to go directly to programs.
What to watch for: How the foundation allocates the new $1.2M across its veteran transition and emergency support programs—and whether it announces new grant rounds tied to entrepreneurship and resettlement work.
SOURCE PenFed Foundation
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Forgotten Genius Fridays
Benjamin O. Davis Sr.: The General Who Broke the U.S. Military’s Color Barrier
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. rose from the ranks of the Buffalo Soldiers to become the first Black general in U.S. military history. His remarkable career spanned roughly 50 years and helped challenge racial barriers inside a segregated Army.
Forgotten Genius Fridays | STM Daily News
Before the Tuskegee Airmen challenged segregation in the skies over World War II, another barrier was being broken within the ranks of the United States Army.
His name was Benjamin O. Davis Sr.
On October 25, 1940, Davis was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African American general officer in the Regular Army and the U.S. armed forces. His promotion represented an extraordinary milestone in a military that was still officially segregated.
But Davis’s story didn’t begin with stars on his shoulders.
It began more than four decades earlier.
From Volunteer to Buffalo Soldier
Born in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 1877, Davis entered military service during the Spanish-American War in 1898, serving as a temporary first lieutenant with the 8th United States Volunteer Infantry.
After that unit was mustered out, Davis made a consequential decision. In June 1899, he enlisted as a private in the Regular Army’s 9th Cavalry Regiment.
The 9th Cavalry was one of the famed Black regiments whose soldiers became widely known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Davis quickly advanced through the enlisted ranks, becoming a corporal and then squadron sergeant major. In February 1901, he received a commission as a second lieutenant of cavalry in the Regular Army.
His journey through the ranks had begun.
Serving an Army That Wasn’t Equal
Davis would serve his country for decades, but his career unfolded inside an institution constrained by racial segregation.
Assignments available to Black officers were limited, particularly because military practices sought to prevent Black officers from commanding white soldiers. Davis consequently spent portions of his career teaching military science at historically Black institutions, including Wilberforce University and Tuskegee Institute, and served as a military attaché in Liberia.
These assignments were important, but they also reflected the racial restrictions under which Black Army officers served.
Despite those obstacles, Davis continued advancing.
He became a lieutenant colonel in 1920 and a colonel in 1930.
Then came 1940.
A Star That Made History
On October 25, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt promoted Benjamin O. Davis Sr. to brigadier general.
For the first time, a Black officer wore a general’s star in the Regular Army.
The significance extended beyond Davis himself. Black Americans had served in the nation’s armed forces from its earliest conflicts, yet the highest levels of military leadership had remained closed to them.
Davis had broken through that barrier.
Yet the military remained segregated.
Becoming a general did not make segregation disappear.
Instead, Davis would spend part of World War II confronting some of its consequences.
A General Confronts Discrimination
During World War II, Davis served with the Army’s Inspector General organization and undertook assignments involving the conditions and treatment of Black troops.
He traveled extensively, investigated problems affecting soldiers and units, and advised military leaders on matters involving Black servicemen.
His work took him overseas as well. In 1942, he was sent to the European Theater on special duty concerning issues affecting Black troops. He later served in Paris as special assistant to the commanding general of the Communications Zone.
His Distinguished Service Medal citation credited his investigations and advice with helping produce fairer solutions to problems involving soldiers and contributing to broader War Department policy.
Davis therefore occupied an unusual position.
He was simultaneously a senior officer in the United States Army and a Black American serving inside a military whose segregation policies continued to restrict people who looked like him.
Then Came His Son
There is another remarkable dimension to the Benjamin O. Davis story.
While Davis Sr. was breaking barriers within the Army, his son was preparing to break barriers in the air.
Benjamin O. Davis Jr. graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1936 after enduring years of racial isolation from fellow cadets. He would later become a military pilot and eventually command both the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group, becoming one of the most important leaders associated with the Tuskegee Airmen.
For a period, father and son represented an extraordinary rarity within the U.S. military: two Black career officers operating at a time when opportunities for Black commissioned officers remained severely restricted.
Their stories would eventually become intertwined with one of the most important experiments in American military history.
The Tuskegee Airmen.
Fifty Years of Service
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. retired from active military service on July 14, 1948, completing approximately 50 years of service.
Less than two weeks later, on July 26, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981, declaring a policy of equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed services regardless of race, color, religion or national origin.
The transformation of the military would take years.
But Davis had spent much of his career pushing against the barriers that made such a transformation necessary.
He died on November 26, 1970, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Among his decorations were the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, France’s Croix de Guerre with Palm, and Liberia’s Order of the Star of Africa.
Why Benjamin O. Davis Sr. Matters
It would be easy to remember Benjamin O. Davis Sr. simply as the first Black general in American military history.
But his significance runs deeper.
He rose from private to general in an institution that placed substantial racial barriers in his path. He served with the Buffalo Soldiers, educated future officers, represented the United States overseas and advised military leaders about the treatment of Black troops during World War II.
And his story became the first chapter of an extraordinary father-and-son legacy.
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. broke one barrier.
His son would soon take the fight into the skies.
Next in our special series: The Tuskegee Airmen — The Red Tails Who Fought Two Wars.
Then, on the following Forgotten Genius Friday, we’ll tell the remarkable story of Benjamin O. Davis Jr.—from four years of isolation at West Point to commanding the Tuskegee Airmen and ultimately wearing four stars.
Forgotten Genius Fridays is an STM Daily News series highlighting innovators, pioneers and historical figures whose achievements deserve a larger place in our collective memory.
Sources & Related Reading
Primary source: U.S. Army Center of Military History — Benjamin O. Davis Sr. — detailed official chronology of his Army service and historic promotion.
Biography: National Museum of the United States Army — Benjamin O. Davis Sr. — particularly useful for his Buffalo Soldier service, segregation-era assignments and World War II work.
Related: National Park Service — Benjamin O. Davis Jr. — provides the bridge to the next generation and the Tuskegee Airmen.
