In June, after the death of George Floyd, looters in Chicago destroyed hundreds of businesses–among them, 70 of the 118 Walgreens stores in Chicago.
According to Crain's Chicago Business, Walgreens spent $35 million fixing 70 stores, but six suffered such severe structural damage that they have not yet been reopened.
The looted stores were spread out throughout Chicago, including in neighborhoods where residents had few choices in pharmacies. This caused a new crisis in the area as filling prescriptions became difficult.
In one neighborhood, Chatham, where the local Walgreens was destroyed, the company surveyed patients and discovered that 65 percent of the population have 'transportation issues' and couldn't get medicine after looting closed the pharmacy.
Walgreens responded by working with FedEx and local carriers to offer free prescription delivery through the end of the year. It worked with churches and organizations to offer free immunizations and health screenings.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
