Walgreens is closing another Dorchester location, the 2nd this year

The Walgreens in Dorchester‘s Codman Square will permanently shut its doors Sept. 10, the company said.

Walgreens announced the closure in a notice on its website. 

The pharmacy, located at 585 Washington St., is one of several Walgreens stores to close in Massachusetts as the franchise looks to bolster its business. 

“We will continue to execute our previously announced turnaround plan aimed at stabilizing the retail pharmacy, including our footprint optimization program,” a Walgreens spokesperson told Boston.com in an email. “Increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures are weighing on our ability to cover the costs associated with rent, staffing, and supply needs.”

Walgreens said in October 2024 it would shutter 1,200 store locations over the next three years, with about 500 closures taking place during the 2025 fiscal year.

The Codman Square closure marks the second shutdown of a Walgreens in Dorchester this year; a location on Gallivan Boulevard shut down April 28. 

Codman Square Walgreens patients are eligible to receive free delivery for 90 days, the spokesperson said. 

Patients with current prescriptions “not need to take action,” and will be automatically transferred to the Walgreens located at 825 Morton St. in Boston. Patients can also choose a different preferred pharmacy location. 

The Morton Street Walgreens is a 26 minute walk from the Codman Square location. 

The next closest Walgreens, at 1100 Dorchester Ave., is a 43 minute walk from the Codman Square location. 

This distance may create “pharmacy deserts” for residents without cars. 

As of January of this year, 27.9% of Dorchester residents do not have access to a vehicle, according to the Boston Planning & Development Agency.

In 2024, after the fourth Walgreens to close in recent years in predominantly Black and Hispanic areas, residents protested, fearing that pharmacies would become inaccessible in areas they were crucially needed.

Walgreens is not the only drug store closing some of its locations.

CVS announced in its annual report in February that it plans to shut down 271 stores in 2025. It closed 299 stores in 2024.

“It is never an easy decision to close a store, and we know how important they are to the communities we serve and therefore do everything possible to improve their performance,” the Walgreens spokesperson said. “When closures are necessary, we will work in partnership with community stakeholders to minimize customer disruptions.”

This story has been updated to include a comment from Walgreens.

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