ST. LOUIS — A union document says that the Schnuck Markets pharmacy in Kirkwood and other area specialty pharmacies will be among those closing when CVS purchases that part of the grocer's business.
CVS said Tuesday it will acquire and operate 99 of the grocer's pharmacies and brand them as CVS Pharmacy locations, resulting in 11 of 110 pharmacies closing. CVS plans to acquire prescription files from those pharmacies and transfer them to nearby CVS Pharmacy locations.
A CVS spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A Schnucks spokesman said the document, circulated by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655, is "accurate and one we provided our pharmacy teammates to help them prepare for the upcoming transition." CVS has a store near the Kirkwood Schnucks at 10820 Manchester Road.
The document says other pharmacies set to close are in DeKalb, Illinois; Rockford, Illinois (Loves Park); Roscoe, Illinois; Sangamon, Illinois; Bettendorf, Iowa; and Janesville, Wisconsin. In addition, specialty pharmacies in Maryland Heights; on South Brentwood Boulevard; on Watson Road; and in Moline, Illinois, also will close. It said the companies planned for CVS Pharmacy to assume ownership of the other locations "by end of the second quarter of the calendar year."
The document sought to assuage fears of pharmacy employees. It told them to apply for positions with CVS, but also said that of the 1,150 employees who work in the pharmacies, 10% may not be offered roles with CVS or transition to other Schnucks jobs.
David Cook, UFCW Local 655 president, said his union represents about 700 Schnucks pharmacy workers, all pharmacy technicians, who help prepare medications. He said he hasn't yet spoken with CVS officials, but he anticipated they would honor Schnucks' collective bargaining agreements.
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