The CVS pharmacy in downtown Berkeley at 2300 Shattuck Ave. (at Bancroft Way) will close June 15, according to a sign posted on the store.
It’s among hundreds of pharmacies the chain is closing across the country and one of two CVS Pharmacy locations downtown. The other one, located about two blocks up inside Target on Shattuck Avenue and Allston Way, is still open.
Customers are being directed to the full CVS store on 2655 Telegraph Ave., which is about a mile away and a 20-minute walk. Several shelves in the store were empty as of Friday, and a few customers told Berkeleyside that they were surprised at the closure. One Berkeleyside reader said the sign was first posted on Wednesday.
CVS said in fall 2021 that it would be closing 900 pharmacies throughout the country beginning in spring 2022 in a shift to different store models that offer primary care services and more traditional pharmacy options. This would reduce the number of CVS locations in some areas, like Berkeley, as it closes 300 pharmacies a year for the next three years.
CVS Pharmacy spokesperson Monica Prinzing said it was a “difficult” decision to close the location, but added that there are four remaining stores in Berkeley.
“All prescriptions will be transferred to the nearby CVS Pharmacy at 2655 Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley to ensure that patients continue to have uninterrupted access to service,” Prinzing said. “All store employees are being offered comparable roles at other CVS locations.”
It’s among other pharmacy chains to downsize stores, including Walgreens, which closed a popular North Berkeley location in 2020 that formerly belonged to Elephant Pharmacy, and a location in Southwest Berkeley in November.