The Walgreens pharmacy had been an anchor in this neighborhood for more than two decades. And with Lucky’s pharmacy across the street closing in 2024, for many residents in the area, it was the last remaining option to get their prescriptions and talk to a pharmacist in person and within walking distance.
Among these locals is Jim Mitulski, who’s lived in the area since 2000.
KALW spoke with Jim a few days ahead of the closure on E. 18th. Jim told KALW the Walgreens pharmacy was where he filled his prescriptions on evenings and weekends – times that were either outside the working hours of his hospital pharmacy or when he couldn’t make it back from work in time.
“I have diabetes, I have HIV – I have complex medical things – and the human interaction makes a difference. And it makes it harder to think about staying here as I get older when these kinds of - to me necessary - services are disappearing.”
Other area residents told KALW it was a convenient place to pick up necessary household items for cleaning or laundry, or to get packages securely delivered.
A representative from a nearby senior housing building told KALW it wasn’t the closest Walgreens location to his residents, but it was the pharmacy that provided a bilingual pharmacy rep to lead their annual immunization clinic.
Last month, Walgreens announced the location would be among two of their Oakland stores to close this month. The second location is scheduled to close tomorrow at the intersection of Telegraph Ave. and 51st.
In the meantime, the company has transferred patients of the E. 18th pharmacy to the next closest one, located on Lakeshore and Lake Park Avenue, across the freeway. The spokesperson KALW reached out to would not confirm that there are no current plans for the closure of the Lakeshore location.
Outside Walgreens on Monday, Pat – who didn’t provide a last name – told KALW she’d come by to say her goodbyes to the store’s staff. She spoke about the store she’d been going to for nearly 16 years with warmth. She said it will be difficult to go to another location.
“Well, it won’t be the one on Lakeshore, because the traffic and the parking there is not really friendly . OptimumRX , I used to get my prescriptions by mail, but this was so close I switched. But now that they’re closing, I’m going to go back and get it mailed.”
And when it comes to this store, Pat said life goes on…
“You know, the only thing constant in life is change."
Walgreens’ spokesperson cited “increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures” impacting the company’s “ability to cover the costs associated with rent, staffing, and supply needs” as reasons for the closure.
Correction: An earlier version of the story mistakenly stated that Lucky Pharmacy on E. 18th St. closed in 2024. The pharmacy in fact closed in 2022.
