Why Pharmacies Are Closing
The Collapse of a Trusted Healthcare Lifeline
In communities across the U.S., the loss of local pharmacies is more than just an inconvenience—it’s a brewing crisis. Over the past two weeks alone, major players like CVS Health and Rite Aid have announced the closure of 570 locations, while grocery giant Kroger is shuttering another 60 pharmacy-equipped stores. Independent pharmacists and chain operations alike are sounding the alarm: the pharmacy system is collapsing under the weight of unfair business practices and corporate consolidation—largely at the hands of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs).
For people with Parkinson’s disease, the impact of this trend is severe. Regular access to prescriptions for motor symptoms, non-motor issues like depression or sleep dysfunction, and adjunct therapies is crucial. Losing nearby pharmacies means increased travel, medication delays, and reduced health stability—especially for elderly or mobility-challenged patients.
Understanding the PBM Squeeze
It began quietly in 2018. Pharmacists across the U.S. began noticing a disturbing pattern: they were no longer being fully reimbursed for the cost of stocking prescription medications—particularly high-cost brand drugs. These reimbursement shortfalls were often tied to contract negotiations with the three largest PBMs: CVS Caremark, OptumRx, and Express Scripts.
These companies process 80% of all U.S. prescriptions. They dictate the price of prescriptions on a drug-by-drug basis, using proprietary algorithms that are shielded from public scrutiny. For pharmacies to serve insured patients, they must sign binding contracts with PBMs—without transparency on pricing logic.
According to Antonio Ciaccia, a national drug pricing reform advocate and former head of the Ohio Pharmacist Association:
“Retail pharmacy is being pressured like never before.”
The ‘Buy Us or Go Broke’ Playbook
As reimbursements tightened, PBMs—or the chains affiliated with them—began calling struggling independent pharmacies with offers to buy them out. Pharmacists across the country reported being cornered: starved of margin, then approached by PBM-linked chains like CVS, Rite Aid, or Walgreens offering a way out—at a fraction of value.
While CVS denies squeezing out independent pharmacies, it has refused to release reimbursement data. Meanwhile, pharmacies close at unprecedented rates, and PBM profits surge.
The Mark Cuban Challenge
Entrepreneur Mark Cuban has entered the fray with CostPlus Drugs, an online pharmacy advocating transparency. In June 2025, Cuban lobbied lawmakers in Washington, D.C., arguing that PBMs are to blame for the exodus of pharmacies.
“When you don’t get reimbursed for your cost on brand drugs, it’s going to be hard to stay in business,” he said. “Rite Aid is closing for the same PBM reasons. CVS—I don’t know.”
Why CVS Is Closing Its Own Pharmacies
CVS’s closures puzzled analysts. Why would a company with thousands of stores begin pulling back? One explanation is the rise of mail-order prescriptions and telehealth, now a $550 billion sector—an area where CVS is deeply invested.
Another possibility: PBM revenue is simply more profitable. According to an analysis by Eric Pachman of Bancreek Capital Advisors, labor data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that, beginning in 2010, healthcare companies began pouring salary dollars into PBM divisions—leaving retail pharmacy investment behind.
This shift coincided with:
- A 60% increase in employer-sponsored health care costs.
- Rapid consolidation of PBMs and insurers.
- A rise in healthcare deserts, especially in rural and underserved communities.
How This Impacts People with Parkinson’s
For those managing Parkinson’s, pharmacy closures are more than economic news—they represent a direct threat to consistent care. PD patients rely on timely access to medications like:
- Carbidopa/Levodopa
- Dopamine agonists
- MAO-B inhibitors
- Sleep and mood stabilizers
Disruptions in medication schedules can result in worsened motor symptoms, hallucinations, mood swings, or hospitalization. In rural areas, where alternatives may be hours away, the risk is multiplied.
What Can Be Done
1. PBM Transparency Legislation
- Require PBMs to disclose how prescription pricing is determined.
- Make all reimbursement rates visible and contestable.
2. Support for Independent Pharmacies
- Provide grant funding for rural and underserved pharmacies.
- Offer tax relief for stores serving Medicare/Medicaid patients.
3. Restrict Vertical Integration
- Limit PBM ownership of retail pharmacies.
- Prevent preferential treatment of affiliated chains.
4. Promote Cost-Transparent Models
- Encourage startups like CostPlus Drugs through innovation funding.
- Integrate transparent pricing into Medicare Part D and state plans.
Looking Ahead
Without regulatory changes, more pharmacy closures are inevitable. And with each closure, people with Parkinson’s lose another thread in their fragile web of support. These local pharmacies are not just dispensaries—they are often hubs of medication counseling, health screening, and personalized care.
The Parkies Unite community must raise its voice: access to affordable, timely medication is a human right—not a market casualty.
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AI-generated medical infographics on Parkinson’s symptoms, treatment advances, and research findings; I hope you found this blog post informative and interesting. www.parkiesunite.com by Parkie
Image Prompt Used:
A photorealistic, cinematic image of an elderly man with a concerned expression in the foreground of a pharmacy. Muted lighting, pharmacist blurred in background. Style: photorealistic, cinematic detail, 1200×600px, 16:9. Add a bottom banner overlay using the tagline “Why Pharmacies Are Closing” in a font size that fits within 1100x500px.
Negative prompt:
Malformed limbs, extra limbs, mutated hands, disfigured face, bad anatomy, malformed hands, Text, lettering, captions, generating images with text overlays
20-character tagline:
Why Pharmacies Are Closing