TYLER, Texas — Brookshire Grocery Co. announced Tuesday that its 120 pharmacies across Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas are changing ownership to Walgreens.
The majority of these Brookshire pharmacy locations are getting converted to Walgreens pharmacies that will operate inside of BGC stores, the Tyler-based grocery company said in a statement.
“We are excited to take this next step with Walgreens to strengthen our pharmacies and further our commitment to our employee-partners and customers that make up our BGC family,” said Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Co. “The pharmacy industry has become increasingly complex over the past few years, and it was important to us to find a business leader that has the capabilities to focus on providing exceptional pharmacy services and value to our customers.”
Eligible BGC pharmacy employees are getting employment offers with Walgreens and customers' prescription will be transferred automatically, the announcement read.
Brad Ulrich, vice president of pharmacy and retail operations for Walgreens, said Walgreens looks forward to giving BGC’s customers greater access to a range of trusted pharmacy and healthcare services.
“Our pharmacists are playing a critical role in healthcare today, and we truly value the importance of the pharmacist-patient relationship," Ulrich said. "As part of our commitment to ensuring a seamless transition, we’re excited to also be providing employment opportunities for BGC’s existing pharmacy staff.”
Under this agreement, BGC said a few pharmacy locations will close down and those patient files will go to another in-store pharmacy at BGC’s or a nearby Walgreens retail pharmacy.
BGC said that both companies are committed to finding employment opportunities for pharmacy workers in other Brookshire or Walgreens locations.
The pharmacies in BGC’s Reasor’s stores in Oklahoma are not a part of this transaction and will remain under BGC brand and ownership.
“My grandfather laid the foundation for our core values in 1928 which continue to be supported by our team providing excellent service, showing integrity and doing our best every day. With this next step, we will remain focused on creating and delivering exceptional value to our customers,” Brookshire said.