Minnesota Retail Pharmacies to Close as Industry Shrinks

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Minnesota health care provider HealthPartner says it will close 30 of its retail pharmacies next year amid a broader shrinking of the industry.

Minnesota Public Radio News reported Friday that about 300 workers will lose their jobs as a result of the closures. The company, which sells health insurance and also runs hospitals and clinics, declined to comment to the radio station.

The retail pharmacy industry has been shrinking for over a decade, starting with the closing of many independent pharmacies in rural areas.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts no growth in pharmacy jobs through 2028.

Sarah Derr, executive director of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association, says organizations like hers recognize prescriptions might be filled by machines in the future.

HealthPartner will also close its mail-order pharmacy business in 2020.