SEATTLE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A record number of pharmacies shut down across the state last year, including two in Bellingham.

The Seattle Times reports that almost 60 Washington pharmacies closed in 2023, which is twice as high as in 2022. Over half of those closures were by Bartell Drugs and Thrifty Payless pharmacies, both owned by Rite Aid.

Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy last October amid slumping sales and lawsuits relating to the pharmacy’s role in fueling the opioid epidemic.

Two Rite Aid stores in Bellingham closed last fall, one downtown on Cornwall Avenue and the other on Telegraph Road.