CVS Health closes St. Paul pharmacy as part of national strategy shift

CVS Health has closed a pharmacy in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of St. Paul, part of a national strategy shift that's resulted in three store closures in Minnesota.

The store at Maryland Avenue and Arcade Street closed June 30, roughly three months after CVS closed another St. Paul store at Snelling and University avenues. In February, the company closed a store in Moorhead.

CVS announced plans in November to close about 900 retail outlets — roughly 300 stores per year over a three-year period — to reduce store density in certain parts of the country.

The Rhode Island-based firm is one of the nation's largest pharmacy operators with more than 9,000 retail locations. The company says it's focusing resources on stores that offer a wider range of health services, including some with primary care.

"At this time, we have no plans to close additional Minnesota locations this year," CVS Health said in a statement to the Star Tribune.

"We have nearly 100 CVS Pharmacy locations across the Twin Cities metro area," the company said. "More than half of those locations include a MinuteClinic, which offers patients affordable and convenient walk-in health care services, and nearly 20 are CVS HealthHUB locations, which offer products and services designed for a broad range of health and wellness needs."

The company said employees are offered comparable jobs at other locations.

A main competitor, Walgreens, operates a pharmacy just across the street from the site. All prescriptions from the CVS in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood are being transferred to this Walgreens.

When deciding whether to close a store, CVS says it considers maintaining access to pharmacy services, particularly in vulnerable communities. Other factors include "market dynamics, population shifts, a community's store density and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community."

"We'll continue to provide Minnesotans with outstanding service at our multiple other convenient locations in the area," the company said.

During the past 18 months, CVS Health's stores have joined with other pharmacies to play a large role in the COVID-19 vaccine campaign across Minnesota.