Sixth Ward Alderman William Hall wants to make pharmacies more accessible throughout Chicago.
Fox 32 Chicago reports that a Chatham Walgreens has closed its doors after more than two decades of serving the nearby community. Theft and safety concerns were reasons for the closure. Walgreens redesigned a South Loop store and upgraded its security, but did not take the same measures for the Chatham location, according to the outlet.
George Smith is a Chatham resident who will be among those impacted by the Walgreens closure, according to the outlet. Smith has had two strokes and needs eight medications, which he takes daily. He said that without his medications, he is “crippled.” The next pharmacy is more than a mile away.
“I have to find a ride and sometimes the insurance supplies you a ride, but you gotta let them know the day before. So, if something’s happening to you today, they can’t give you any rides,” Smith told Fox 32.
The outlet reported that Walgreens has been closing locations across Chicago for years, with Bronzeville, South Shore, and South Chicago among the areas affected. It also noted that just 1% of white neighborhoods are pharmacy deserts, while one-third of Black neighborhoods are.
“Walgreens has, in my opinion, started the 21st century medicine apartheid. When white people needed medicine on 12th Street, they bought up the best security plans and they redesigned the stores,” Hall said, per the Fox 32. “When we asked for help on this side of town years ago, they did not give us any new designs. They didn’t give us any support, but they claimed that it was all about crime with no effort to make it safe for residents as well as customers.”
Hall has suggested a city-run Office of Pharmacy Access, which would benefit Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods by providing nearby pickup and prescription-filling services.
“We can become the landlord,” Hall explained, according to Fox 32. “We can give small pharmacists the opportunity to not deal with the overhead that sometimes costs them business.”
A pilot program will launch in July on 79th Street. Hall also plans to explore funding options with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, including taxing liquor sales between midnight and 6 a.m.
