State Rep. Cam Cavitt on Wednesday highlighted the importance of utilizing locally-owned pharmacies in response to reports  that Rite Aid would close all Michigan stores.

Rite Aid employees said the company would be transferring prescriptions over to Walgreens. However, last month, Walgreens announced it would be closing a fourth of its 8,600 stores nationwide. CVS also announced it would shutter 300 stores this year after closing 600 in the past two years.

“It’s times like these that we have to remember that big-name pharmacies don’t have any actual ties in our communities,” said Cavitt, R-Cheboygan. “I feel for the people who will lose their jobs because of these closures, but I can’t say I’m surprised. We’re talking about companies that are operating based on numbers. They don’t care about the people who won’t receive their prescriptions, the locals who will be out of work, or the buildings they’ll leave vacant. The only goal is maintaining their bottom line through any means necessary.”

Officials say the store shutdowns resulted from lower reimbursement levels for medications and insurance companies, the expansion of telehealth, prescriptions shipped through the mail, and big box stores expanding pharmacy operations.

In Northeast Michigan, several independent pharmacies have weathered the storm and remain in business. Cavitt noted that operations like McLean Pharmacy in Rogers City, which opened in the 1980s; Modern Pharmacy in Cheboygan, which opened in 1950; and The LaFave Pharmacy in Alpena, which opened in 1976, have served local customers for decades.

“Our local pharmacies are facing the same struggles as the big-box stores, but the difference is you don’t see them abandoning our communities,” Cavitt said. “That’s because many of these stores have been here for generations. The owners of these pharmacies sit on local boards and live in town. These local stores sponsor t-ball teams and donate to area schools. These are the small businesses that keep our communities going. So, the next time you’re at the doctor, and they ask which pharmacy you use, I encourage you to think about sending your business to the local pharmacies that you don’t have to worry about shutting down because some out-of-state corporate executive said they should.”

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