The ongoing Walgreens closures in San Francisco's neighborhoods, particularly the Bayview-Hunters Point and Richmond Districts, highlight severe impacts on low-income residents' access to essential services. Residents express concerns over accessing prescriptions, as many local pharmacies struggle with reimbursements from Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) feeding a deficit. The closures not only affect access to medications but also diminish community shopping experiences and employment for local workers. City officials, such as Supervisor Walton, emphasize these challenges as barriers for already underserved neighborhoods.
"PBMs are methodically under-reimbursing any pharmacy that is not their own pharmacy on the medications, so the pharmacies are running at a deficit," Bonilla said.
"It's not just about prescriptions either... I used the now-shuttered Walgreens at 135 Powell Street as a general store and a place to build community." - Ria Rosenthal.
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