UMATILLA COUNTY — Rite Aid Corp.’s closing of its drug stores in Milton-Freewater, Hermiston and Walla Walla also means the loss of drive-up pharmacy access.

Milton-Freewater closed its doors Nov. 28, 2023; Hermiston’s last day of operation was Tuesday, Jan. 16; and the Walla Walla store is set to close Jan. 18, company spokesperson Catherine Carter said.

The Pendleton Rite Aid, at 1900 SW Court Place, is staying open, according to Carter.

All four locations featured, or still have in the case of Pendleton, the drive-up window, a convenience, if not a necessity, for many prescription patients.

“We have been educating our patients as they come in,” said Kelsey Bailey, Hermiston’s Family Health Associates office manager. “The Rite Aid is closing, of course, and several patients have commented that they like Rite Aid for the drive-up access.”

Bailey said Hermiston’s Good Shepherd Health Care System used to bring medications to patients who parked in designated spaces but has since discontinued the service.

“My father is elderly and he was going to switch to Rite Aid because he likes the idea of the drive up,” Bailey said, “but he also gets his prescriptions at Safeway and he gets his medications with his grocery delivery.”

Hermiston Safeway pharmacist Carl Adams said the courtesy is not yet company policy, so it may not happen all the time.

“Patients do have the use of DoorDash for $9.99,” Adams said.

Adams also said he can’t think of any pharmacy in Hermiston that will have a drive-up window after the Rite Aid location closes.

“I think the drive-thru will be missed, but hopefully there are some good options for people out there,” Bailey said.

She also said the medical practice that employs her has not had much time to work with patients about the Hermiston Rite Aid closure, whether or not they need drive-up pharmacy access.

“We only found out ourselves a week and a half ago they were closing, so we really hadn’t time to put together much education,” Bailey said, “other than just telling the patient that they are closing, we’re informing them and asking, ‘Would you like to choose another pharmacy?’”

Bailey said the closing of Rite Aid won’t much affect her staff’s day-to-day duties in working with patients.

“Typically, you ask the patient where they want their prescriptions sent, so there is some duplication,” Bailey said, “‘Oh, we sent this last week to Rite Aid, OK, now we’re going to send it to another pharmacy.’ That creates a little bit of extra work, but it’s not of a huge complexity.”

Rite Aid is staring down the barrels of a loaded bankruptcy shotgun, so business decisions are happening quickly and broadly.

Carter explained the company “notified the court of certain underperforming stores we are closing to further reduce rent expense and strengthen overall financial performance.”

The company’s moves, though, also mean local communities bear the brunt of less access and convenience.