Rite Aid has identified six more New Hampshire stores for closure as the bankrupt pharmacy chain continues to wind down its retail footprint nationwide.
The latest round of closures includes stores in Hillsborough, Jaffrey, Littleton, Meredith, Newport and Winchester, according to federal bankruptcy court filings cited by the New Hampshire Union Leader.
The additions bring the total number of Granite State locations slated to close to 14.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May of last year and has said it intends to wind down its operations as it seeks buyers for its remaining assets, including store leases.
The New Hampshire stores previously identified for closure are located in Bristol, Durham, Exeter, Keene, Lee, Lincoln, North Hampton, Peterborough and Pittsfield, according to the filings.
The latest closures are expected to create additional challenges for residents in rural communities who rely on Rite Aid for prescriptions and other pharmacy services.
Plymouth-based Mid-State Health, a federally qualified community health center, said patients in Bristol and Lincoln already face limited pharmacy options and urged customers to make arrangements before their local Rite Aid closes.
“I think that is going to have a dramatic negative impact” in Bristol, Mid-State Health CEO Bob MacLeod told the Union Leader.
“Folks are either going to have to go south of Bristol to maybe areas like Tilton or have to come back to the Plymouth area.”
MacLeod said Mid-State is exploring adding in-house pharmacy services at its Bristol and Lincoln health centers to help offset the loss.
While some communities such as Plymouth still have alternatives including CVS, Hannaford, Walmart and Mid-State’s existing in-house pharmacy, MacLeod warned that access to medications is becoming “yet another challenge” in parts of rural New Hampshire.
Rite Aid said customers will continue to receive pharmacy services during the bankruptcy process.
“A key priority for Rite Aid is to ensure that as many of our loyal customers as possible continue to receive the pharmacy services and care they require without interruption,” CEO Matt Schroeder said in a statement.
The company emerged from an earlier Chapter 11 restructuring in 2024 but sought bankruptcy protection again last year after continuing to struggle financially.
Many stores have been left with sparsely stocked shelves as inventory dwindles during the wind-down process.
“When a rural community loses its only pharmacy, it isn’t simply losing a retail store — it’s losing part of its health care infrastructure,” Dr. Amar Rewari, chief of radiation oncology at Luminis Health, told The Post.
“Even modest barriers can cause patients to delay refills or miss medications, particularly for chronic conditions.”
The Post has sought comment from Rite Aid.
