Walgreens customers in Michigan fear store closures

(CBS) — The pharmaceutical industry has suffered another setback: First Rite Aid, now WalgreensThe recent closure announcement creates problems for customers and even for the pharmacy job market.

Walgreens customers like Kristin Ketzler worry about having to change pharmacies.

Ketzler has been getting her medications from Walgreens for decades.

Although the company did not provide any information about which stores would be closed, the question arises whether they should change their recipes now.

“I wouldn’t resort to telemedicine because you have to worry about whether it’s going to be delivered to the right address or whether the delivery is going to be delayed,” she told CBS News Detroit.

While telemedicine companies like Amazon and GoodRx seem to be thriving, drugstore chains are going downhill.

“They opened these pharmacies expecting to make $10,000 to $15,000 a day over the counter, which hasn’t happened in a long time,” said Dr. Mohammad Sohobah, CEO of PharMor Pharmacy.

Sohobah owns over 20 pharmacies in Michigan. He says he isn’t too concerned about the difficulty of accessing medications in the metro area, but he is worried about pharmacies in rural areas.

“There are smaller towns and villages all around us. I know there are at least 10 villages in Michigan that only have one Rite Aid pharmacy. That’s the only pharmacy they offer,” he said.

According to Sohobah, the pharmaceutical industry is in crisis because without pharmacies, the need for pharmacists is decreasing. Hundreds of pharmacies are closing, meaning hundreds are losing their jobs.

“This effect is 100 percent there. There are at least 200 to 300 pharmacists in Michigan who would like to have a full-time position today,” he said.

Ketzler says she likes the proximity of her store, but given the potential closures, she’s not sure how far she’d be willing to go.

“That leaves CVS or some of the chain stores like Target and Meijer,” Ketzler said.

Walgreens has not announced a specific number of store closures. The company plans to focus on stores that are not profitable, are too close together or are struggling with shoplifting.