This week, Brian Kuch, of Akron, New York, got a text message from CVS that said: "Your Rite Aid prescriptions have been securely transferred to CVS."
However, Kuch said he transferred medications from Rite Aid to Walgreens months ago, after Rite Aid announced it was closing dozens of stores. In May, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
WATCH: Confusion over prescription transfers as Rite Aid stores begin to close
Kuch said he never gave authorization to CVS to have his medication records.
"It's not against HIPAA," said Jon Vorreuter, co-owner of Clarence Pharmacy. "Even if records are sent to a store they don’t want to go to, they still have the option of where they want to go."
A CVS spokesperson said that they did purchase medication records from many Rite Aid stores across Western New York, but not the one in Akron that Kuch went to. The spokesperson said it could be that Kuch went to a different Rite Aid in the past, and that location had records acquired by CVS.
Meanwhile, some pharmacies like Vorreuter's are seeing a spike in business from former Rite Aid customers. He said he had to hire five to six new employees and add a second register just to keep up.
The potential closure of additional Rite Aid stores could exacerbate U.S. access to prescriptions.
According to a 2024 study published by Ohio State University, 46% of U.S. counties had a pharmacy desert.
"Poor access to pharmacies is often associated with lower medication adherence. Patients in socially vulnerable communities may lack the means to travel to other pharmacies or may have limited access to broadband internet to find telepharmacy options," the study reads. "Furthermore, pharmacies often offer diagnostic, preventive, and emergency services. As high pharmacy desert density counties also have a lower primary care density, patients residing in these regions face increased barriers to accessing primary health care needs."
This article was written by Michael Schwartz for the Scripps News Group in Buffalo.
