Rite Aid Closes Stores in Baltimore and Cross-Country
Baltimore and Maryland residents are feeling the impact of Rite Aid’s sweeping store closures as the pharmacy chain enters full liquidation mode.
In recent months, four Maryland locations were slated for shutdown as part of a nationwide plan to close 151 stores. In Baltimore, the Rite Aid on Reisterstown Road and the one in Greenspring Atrium have already begun winding down pharmacy operations before full closure.
The closures tie into a broader collapse: in May 2025, Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than two years. A federal court green-lit a “fire sale” of its assets, including prescription files and storefront leases, transferring them to pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens and Kroger. At the time, Rite Aid operated around 1,240 stores across 15 states, a dramatic contraction from its peak years.
In Maryland, the financial strain extended beyond storefronts. The chain’s Mid-Atlantic distribution center in Aberdeen announced a layoff of 363 workers, and as many as 23 properties statewide are being closed or liquidated. The company is also selling leases and real estate tied to over 20 sites across the state.
Rite Aid’s downfall has roots in deep financial and legal trouble. Decades of debt, shrinking profit margins on pharmaceuticals, and mounting litigation— particularly over alleged opioid prescription practices—have eroded its ability to stay afloat. The first bankruptcy in October 2023 already triggered the loss of hundreds of stores; the second filing sealed its fate.
For residents, this means disrupted access to pharmacies, prescription transfers, and increased travel to neighboring stores. Rite Aid’s website now guides customers on how to retrieve medical records and locate a new pharmacy. In Baltimore, where Rite Aid once bought and rebranded the iconic Read’s Drug chain in 1977, this collapse marks the end of a long-standing presence in local neighborhoods.
