5 days ago
Local pharmacies see surge in patients amid Rite Aid closures
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Local pharmacies are seeing a surge in patients searching for a new place to fill their prescriptions after Rite Aid announced 68 locations in Western New York will close their doors.
'Very stressful times. Naturally we're fielding a lot of telephone calls. We're prepared for it,' said Bradley Arthur, owner of Black Rock Pharmacy. 'This hasn't come as a complete surprise to us.'
The independent pharmacy, located on Tonawanda Street in Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood, is one of the many places filling the void.
Kenmore Prescription Center on Delaware Avenue has a sign out front welcoming patients who have to transfer pharmacies.
Supervising pharmacist Nicole Rutowski said the center has increased its staff, added more hours and updated their technology to handle more customers.
'Since the news came out it's been busier, we have calls every day, we have people stopping in every day trying to figure out what pharmacy they can go to,' Rutowski said. 'Unfortunately, for some people, it's limited. If you have Independent Health, CVS doesn't accept it. That's not an option, so you've got to find somewhere else.'
The number one tip pharmacists have for those affected by the Rite Aid closures is to not wait until the last minute when you need a prescription to find a new pharmacy.
'People are scared out there right now, understandably so, but my answer to that is, if you get out in front of it and properly plan, there is a solution and the solution could be right in your neighborhood,' Arthur said.
Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.
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