Geographic Variation in Pharmacy Competition and Social Vulnerability Proximate to Walgreens

With Walgreens planning to close more than 1,200 stores nationwide, this analysis of 8,743 locations found that 85.3% of counties with a Walgreens had low-competition (i.e., fewer nearby alternative pharmacies per capita than the national average), and 334 counties were both low-competition and highly socially vulnerable (based on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index). Because the closure of a Walgreens in these counties could leave residents with few alternatives and longer travel times to access medications, they should be prioritized for contingency measures like telepharmacy or mail-order delivery. Regulators should also incorporate local competition and vulnerability metrics into pharmacy network adequacy standards.