Confusion over prescription transfers as Rite Aid stores begin to close

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Scripps News

Posted 10:36 AM, Jul 26, 2025


This week, Brian Kuch, of Akron, New York, got a text message from CVS that said: "Your Rite Aid prescriptions have been securely transferred to CVS." However, Kuch said he transferred medications from Rite Aid to Walgreens months ago, after Rite Aid announced it was closing dozens of stores. In May, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Kuch said he never gave authorization to CVS to have his medication records.

"It's not against HIPAA," said Jon Vorreuter, co-owner of Clarence Pharmacy. "Even if records are sent to a store they don’t want to go to, they still have the option of where they want to go."

A CVS spokesperson said that they did purchase medication records from many Rite Aid stores across Western New York, but not the one in Akron that Kuch went to. The spokesperson said it could be that Kuch went to a different Rite Aid in the past, and that location had records acquired by CVS.

Meanwhile, some pharmacies like Vorreuter's are seeing a spike in business from former Rite Aid customers. He said he had to hire five to six new employees and add a second register just to keep up. The potential closure of additional Rite Aid stores could exacerbate U.S. access to prescriptions. According to a 2024 study published by Ohio State University, 46% of U.S. counties had a pharmacy desert.

Read more: https://www.scrippsnews.com/business/company-news/confusion-over-prescription-transfers-as-rite-aid-stores-begin-to-close

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My Rite Aid is supposed to close next week (July 30) and they had told me they sent my renewal scripts to the CVS that is less than a half a mile away (which I have gone to quite a bit in the past but not so much recently - they have a tiny parking lot as it is).

I found a locator thingy where you could put in your zip and see where your prescriptions were supposed to be transferred - https://www.riteaid.com/new-pharmacy-location

[democratsruletheday]

1. what a MESS....

a majority of rite aid/CVS and even Walgreens are disappearing in my area of Michigan (Grand Rapids which is in Kent County) I've switched to Meijer which is a large grocery store and they're ok but not as convenient as rite aid was for me though. Like I said: mess.

[customerserviceguy]

2. This was foreseeable

I can't tell you how many towns I've been in that had a Walgreens, a CVS, and a Rite Aid, all within sight of each other. Mail order prescriptions are changing everything.

[usonian]

4. Small town. Has/Had one Rite-Aid and a pharmacy at the only (regional) grocer in town.

If I am traveling and run out of meds, I really need a chain. It has happened.

CVS happens to be the closest one, "only" 17 miles away.

I don't mail order because one item needs to be kept cool, and I trust nobody but myself to carry an insulated bag with ice.

[usonian]

3. I went to the local Rite-Aid and they were closed. Said to go to one 60 miles away.

I called my doc and had the prescription transferred by them to a sorta-nearby CVS.

I made a living with computers and know how data migrations go. They often "go poorly".

If you can, ask your practitioner to transfer. Takes one fax or whatever new systems they have.

[timms139]

5. I left these big

stores and went to a local that is close and will soon be right across the highway from me. I also use mail order scripts through my insurance which is good about auto refills and keeping my scripts current through my doctor. Walmart might be a good choice for mail delivery since they do that. Only reason to need a trip to the pharmacy would to be a pickup for pain medication . I left the big local ones because they got bad about not having melds in stock a lot of times.

[twodogsbarking]

6. We went through this two years ago. There is a pharmacy at the market that does a much better

job than Rite Aid. CVS is a pain and I don't trust them.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

7. I don't think I've seen a Rite-Aid in NOVA for years

But they used to be all over the South.

We use Express Scripts through Tricare for our regular meds, and if need a quick prescription (antibiotics, etc.), we use the Walgreen down the street. Federal BlueCross is the primary, the Tricare picks up the copay.

[BigmanPigman]

8. Interesting timing for me.....

Driving past the Rite Aid (on my way back from the NO KINGS protest in my neighborhood for over 30 years) was still open. Then last week I drove past it and it's closed suddenly! It was ALWAYS busy, too. Then on Friday I went to CVS a few blocks away and I asked the pharmacist if CVS was closing since there has been empty shelves for months. He informed me that Rite Aid closed and there was a line at CVS that went down the block.

That is sort of an acceptable answer but the CVS store has been very low in all products, especially stationary, for a looooong time. I'm wondering if they are going to close soon as well.

[Thinker Cats]

9. Rhode Island Right Aids became Walgreens in 2018

All Rhode Island Right Aids became Walgreens in 2018 and it was a PITA. It is not like they don't have experience making these moves. You would think they would get better.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. I'm in New York and some changed and some didn't. There's still one Rite Aid on a main street that's always busy

I don't know what the residents in that poorer part of town will do if that closes, those who live in that area usually walk or ride bikes.