South Jersey town in danger of becoming drug store desert: 'Please keep the pharmacy open'
South Jersey town in danger of becoming drug store desert: 'Please keep the pharmacy open'
CVS Pharmacy is the last standing pharmacy in Paulsboro and is closing its store on August 22. A spokesperson for CVS said local market dynamics, population shifts, store density and maintaining access to pharmacy services are all factored into the decision to close a store.
PAULSBORO, N.J. - We’ve heard of food deserts, and now a local community in South Jersey is on the brink of becoming a drug store desert.
CVS Pharmacy is the last standing pharmacy in Paulsboro and is closing its store on August 22.
"Absolutely a travesty. I had to transfer my stuff to Mullica Hill," said Lenny Curtis. "In the wintertime, you know I’m an elderly person, now getting in the car and getting out and going, it’s really a disadvantage."
A spokesperson for CVS said local market dynamics, population shifts, store density and maintaining access to pharmacy services are all factored into the decision to close a store.
"We’ve made the difficult decision to close our store at 231 West Broad Street in Paulsboro on August 22. All prescriptions will be transferred to the nearby CVS Pharmacy at 1098 Mantua Pike in Wenonah to ensure that patients continue to have uninterrupted access to pharmacy care," said spokesperson Amy Thibault of CVS Pharmacy.
This news comes shortly after Rite Aid closed its Paulsboro location earlier this year.
"I want to know why they’re closing down all the pharmacies," said Nadiyah Sanders. "My pharmacy was Rite Aid, but they switched us to Gibbstown and I don’t have a ride to Gibbstown. That’s a little long walk, especially when it’s hot out."
The next closest Rite Aid is in Gibbstown, and while there were rumors this location could be closing by the end of the year, the company said there are no plans to close it.
"Like all retail businesses, we regularly review each of our locations to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers, communities and overall business. A decision to close a store is one we take very seriously and is based on a variety of factors including business strategy, lease and rent considerations, local business conditions and viability, and store performance," said spokesperson Catherine Carter for Rite Aid.
The mayor and council members have reached out to both CVS Pharmacy and Rite Aid, as well as state and federal leaders to find a way to keep CVS from closing next month.
"It’s an elderly community, it’s a low-income community, it’s a minority community," said Mayor Gary Stevenson. "They rely on these drug stores for their health, for their safety, and ultimately for their life and now they are left with nowhere to go."