Authorizing the joint committees on Public Safety and Public Health and Human Services to examine the causes and impacts of the uptick in pharmacy closures across Philadelphia.

Authorizing the joint committees on Public Safety and Public Health and Human Services to examine the causes and impacts of the uptick in pharmacy closures across Philadelphia. WHEREAS, The threat of pharmacy closures, both locally owned and chain stores, has grown since 2021 nationwide, especially in Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, Rite Aid, Philadelphia’s most numerous pharmacy chain, filed for bankruptcy in 2023. Since then, the company has closed over 70 locations in and around the Philadelphia area; and WHEREAS, CVS and Walgreens have also announced nationwide cutbacks in recent years, signaling that pharmacy closures are not isolated incidents but part of a broader restructuring of the industry; and WHEREAS, With the large number of pharmacy closures in Philadelphia, community members are left vulnerable with little certainty about where they can fill prescriptions. Senior citizens who rely on services such as prescription delivery are especially at risk; and WHEREAS, Pharmacies serve as critical access points for healthcare services, including the dispensing of medications, administration of vaccines, and provision of medical advice, particularly in underserved communities; and WHEREAS, In many neighborhoods, local pharmacies are among the only accessible healthcare providers, particularly for residents who are uninsured or underinsured, and closures compound the shortage of primary care options; and WHEREAS, Pharmacists across Pennsylvania have pointed to financial pressur…