ST. LOUIS – Missouri U.S. Congresswoman Cori Bush sent a letter Thursday to the CEO of Walgreens, asking the company to “reverse” its decision to close a north St. Louis store.

The Walgreens location in St. Louis’ Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood at 1400 North Grand Blvd. is reportedly expected to close next month as the chain prepares to close 150 stores nationwide.

In her letter, Bush claims that this upcoming closure, on the heels of two others that closed in St. Louis city limits last year, would “reduce pharmacy access to patients most in need” and “worsen pharmacy deserts” in St. Louis.

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A pharmacy desert is considered a geographic area that is not serviced by any pharmacies within a radius of one mile, or a half mile in areas where residents have limited access to transportation.

Bush says nearly 45,000 people in the City of St. Louis live at least a mile away from a pharmacy, and more than half of its residents in pharmacy deserts are Black.

“As a result of the large market share Walgreens and other big-box pharmacies have, local, community-based pharmacies have often been forced to close or drastically reduce their services rendered,” said Bush in her latter. “A closure of a large pharmacy would only make matters worse. The most medically vulnerable patients in our communities include people with disabilities, seniors, and low-income residents. With this most recent closure, countless patients will lose access to their neighborhood pharmacy, which means potential gaps in procuring lifesaving prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.”

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Bush is requesting a response from Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth by April 5. She seeks answers from on several specific questions, including if Walgreens plans to reverse its decision, what considerations are made to determine which locations stay open and whether the company has plans to help St. Louis reduce the number of people in pharmacy deserts.

FOX 2 has learned of many patients scrambling to find local pharmacies to meet their needs in anticipation of the Walgreens closure.

Earlier this month, Walgreen sent FOX 2 this statement:

“We are committed to our patients in St. Louis, and have provided them with options to ease the transition as this store closes so we can continue to serve their needs. We’re working with team members to find employment at other nearby Walgreens.

“We apologize for the inconvenience. 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.”

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