Pressley slams Walgreens closures: ‘Racial and economic discrimination’

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) has accused pharmaceutical conglomerate Walgreens of “divesting from Black and brown communities” after the company announced another store closure in a predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood in Massachusetts. 

“When a Walgreens leaves a neighborhood, they disrupt the entire community and they take with them baby formula, diapers, asthma inhalers, life-saving medications and, of course, jobs,” Pressley said on the House floor this week. “These closures are not arbitrary and they are not innocent. They are life-threatening acts of racial and economic discrimination.”

Walgreens announced in June that it would close 150 locations around the nation amid lower earnings, CNN reported at the time. 

But earlier this month, Pressley joined Massachusetts Democratic Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren in sending a letter to Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth, noting the closures in their state were occurring in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods. 

“Walgreens claims that it is seeking to expand its efforts to provide health care,” the Democrats wrote. “The choice to close several Walgreens locations in neighborhoods that serve Black, Brown, and low-income communities in Massachusetts, and across the United States — without giving communities adequate notice and opportunity or alternatives to access — belies that goal and its stated commitment to serve the health of people across America.” 

The lawmakers argued the closures are exacerbating issues of racial and economic discrimination and are building upon a legacy of pharmacy and food deserts and a lack of access to reliable transportation.

In 2021, the University of Southern California published a study that found Black and Latino neighborhoods across 30 U.S. cities had fewer pharmacies than white and diverse neighborhoods from 2007 to 2015.

On Tuesday, Pressley expressed outrage over the latest closure in Roxbury, Mass., a community she said is 85 percent Black and Latino.

“Why was there no community input? No adequate notice to customers? And no transition resources to prevent gaps in health care?” Pressley asked. “Shame on you, Walgreens.”

In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for Walgreens said the company appreciates the concerns. 

“As a result of the current operating environment and our financial performance, we have had to make difficult decisions across our business including corporate headcount reductions, as well as store closures like Roxbury,” the spokesperson said. “Roxbury’s closure was due to several factors including the cost of operating, low prescription volume and low reimbursement rates.”

Walgreens said they alerted customers of the closure on Jan. 1 — two weeks before it was scheduled — as well as posted signs around the location.  They then delayed the closure to Jan. 31, with another alert going out to customers on Jan. 29. 

The spokesperson added that customers were also provided with several options to help with the transition, including prescription transfers and free same-day delivery on prescriptions for 90 days.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience,” the spokesperson said. “We know that our customers and patients rely on our stores and trust our team members for their healthcare needs. And, when we must close a store, it affects them and their community. Our priority is to ensure a smooth transition for our customers and team members during this time.”

The company added that they look forward to working with elected leaders to address barriers that inhibit pharmacies from operating in communities around the nation. 

—Updated at 4:18 p.m.