INDIANAPOLIS — Sixteen CVS locations in Indianapolis have closed over the past four years. CVS says it has no plans to close any more stores in Indianapolis this year.
A company spokesperson said it was all part of a realignment based on their evaluation of population, consumer buying patterns and future health needs.
The pharmacy closures was first reported by Mirror Indy.
Five Walgreens locations have also shut down, the latest one closing just last month.
A Walgreens company spokesperson said when deciding whether to close a store, the company looks at several factors, including the local market and the buying habits of patients and customers.
"I know people, they take Lyft rides to get there to pick up, to get their prescriptions," said Jama Bennett, from the Hawthorn Community Center on the near west side.
According to Bennett, several clients have been impacted by the pharmacy closures.
"A lot of people don't have transportation, unfortunately," said Bennett, explaining that it led to one woman not getting her prescription. "She couldn't get access to her meds, so she had mental health issues."
Even when people have access to public transportation, Bennett said barriers still exist.
"Especially when the weather's colder, it's harder, too. You don't want to walk out with your baby in a stroller to get on a bus too, but I know people that do because that's their only option," Bennett said.
Dr. Andrew Schmelz, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Butler University, said the closures could be the result of a number of factors, including increasingly razor-thin profit margins in areas where household incomes are lower and a lack of pharmacists after the COVID-19 pandemic, with people leaving the profession and fewer entering it.