Walgreens is closing yet another Sacramento-area store. Where? When’s the last day?
After closing at least six local drugstores in 2024, Walgreens is shutting down an additional Sacramento-area location.
Walgreens will shut its doors at 6325 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Carmichael on April 30, according to Jennifer Cotto Johnson, media relations for Walgreens, in an email to the Sacramento Bee.
“It is never an easy decision to close a store,” said Cotto Johnson. “We know that our stores are important to the communities that we serve, and therefore do everything possible to improve the store performance. When closures are necessary, like the one in Sacramento, we will work in partnership with community stakeholders to minimize customer disruptions. We intend to redeploy the majority of our team members from those stores that we close.”
The move is part of a flurry of recent drugstore closures across the nation.
What is Walgreens?
Walgreens was founded in 1901 by Charles R. Walgreen in Chicago, according to its website.
The drugstore chain offers everyday items including medicine, vitamins, cosmetics and household products, as well as in-house pharmacies.
It has now become one of the largest pharmacies in the U.S., according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
Walgreens’ parent company, Walgreens Boots Alliance, owns more than 12,500 locations in the United States, Europe and Latin America.
As of Friday, there were approximately 30 locations in the Sacramento area.
Where is Sacramento-area store closing?
Walgreens is closing its store at 6325 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Carmichael near the intersection with Marconi Avenue.
When’s the last day for Carmichael location?
Walgreens’ Carmichael location is scheduled to close April 30.
What will happen to my prescriptions?
According to Cotto Johnson, patients who get their prescriptions filled at the closing Walgreens do not need to take action.
Patients will be notified by mail and their prescriptions will be transferred to the Walgreens located at 4200 Arden Way in Sacramento.
Patients at both locations are eligible to receive free delivery for 90-days. Walgreens encourage patients to speak to their pharmacist to learn how to setup this service.
According to Walgreen’s site, customers should call a nearby Walgreens pharmacy or choose a different location when refilling prescriptions online.
Additionally, the site offers multiple delivery options, from same-day delivery for $3.99 to five- to 10-day shipping for free.
Why are Walgreen locations closing?
In October, Walgreens Boots Alliance announced it was closing approximately 1,200 locations over the next three years due to declining prescription drug payments and competition on online retailers.
That includes shutting down approximately 500 stores in 2025.
“We are focusing on stabilizing the retail pharmacy by optimizing our footprint, controlling operating costs, improving cash flow and continuing to address reimbursement models to support dispensing margins and preserve patient access for the future,” Tim Wentworth, Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO said in a statement. “This turnaround will take time, but we are confident it will yield significant financial and consumer benefits over the long term.”
In March 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state of California would not renew a multi-million- dollar contract with Walgreens after the pharmacy chain said it would not dispense abortion pills in some states.
Where else have Walgreens stores closed?
Several Walgreens locations permanently closed in Northern California in 2024, including these Sacramento-spots:
Citrus Heights
6199 Sunrise Blvd.
North Highlands
6819 Watt Ave.
Sacramento
840 El Camino Ave.
1401 Broadway
7155 24th St.
Placerville
4220 Missouri Flat Road
Are other pharmacy chains shutting stores?
Pharmacy chains Rite Aid and CVS have also announced the closure of scores of store in recent years.
Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2023 due to growing debt, falling revenue and numerous lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic.
The company announced in February 2024 that it would close more than 20 locations in California.
CVS plans to shut 270 stores nationwide in 2025, after closing 900 locations within a two-year period, The Mirror US reported.
According to researchers at UC Berkeley School of Public Health and USC, about one in three U.S. retail pharmacies have closed since 2010.
Between 2018 and 2021, the number of pharmacies declined in 41 states, the study found, with higher pharmacy closure rates in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods.
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
