EVERETT — It may be harder to pick up prescriptions in Snohomish County starting next month.
Pennsylvania-based pharmacy chain Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy Sunday. It plans to close 154 locations nationwide, including Rite Aid stores in Mill Creek and Everett and one Bartell Drugs in Lynnwood, according to court filings Tuesday.
The stores planned for closure in Snohomish County are:
■ Rite Aid at 10103 Evergreen Way, Everett, on Nov. 6;
■ Rite Aid at 3202 132nd St. SE, Mill Creek, on Nov. 12;
■ Bartell Drugs at 2518 196th St. SW, Lynnwood, on Nov. 14.
The bankruptcy comes as the company faces 1,600 opioid-related lawsuits and struggles to compete with larger chains, like CVS and Walgreens. Rite Aid has almost $4 billion in debt, according to court documents.
”A decision to close a store is one we take very seriously,” the company said in a statement emailed to The Herald Friday.
Rite Aid is transferring store workers and customers’ pharmacy prescriptions “to other Rite Aid locations where possible,” and will update its website about closures on an ongoing basis.
In total, Rite Aid plans to close 11 locations in Washington. Five Rite Aid stores and one Bartell Drugs in the greater Seattle area have already closed.
Rite Aid has closed 14 Bartell Drugs stores since it bought the Washington-based chain in 2020. After November, Snohomish County will have 12 Rite Aid and 13 Bartell locations.
Sydney Jackson: 425-339-3430; sydney.jackson@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @_sydneyajackson.
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