HealthPartners has announced that is will be closing 30 retail pharmacies as well as its mail-order pharmacy operations. The company is also cutting about 300 jobs, including 100 pharmacists.

The pharmacy closures will affect locations within HealthPartners, Park Nicollet, Central Minnesota, and Stillwater Medical Group clinics. Closures will occur on Jan. 20 with HealthPartners’ retail clinic pharmacies closing on April 1.

All HealthPartners specialty, infusion, hospital pharmacies will continue their operations, the company said.

“Consumer preferences and pharmacy economics have changed, however, to favor large-scale organizations able to support extended hours, drive-through pickup, and other conveniences we’re not able to offer,” Scott Schnuckle, senior vice president, Pharmacy & Business Development at HealthPartners said.

“Like others preceding us in our market, we’ve made the difficult decision to exit our retail pharmacy operation,” he added.

HealthPartners said the 300 jobs that will be cut are a result of the pharmacy closures.

“We will be supporting our colleagues through the transition during the next several months,” Schnuckle said. “We’ll also be working closely with our patients ahead of this transition to ensure they will continue to have convenient access to the prescription medications they need.”

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