HARDWICK – The area’s sole pharmacy, Walgreens, permanently closed in September 2024. Twice hit by the summer floods, the absence of this store location forced residents into longer drives or alternative solutions.
Most recently, the Walgreens corporation has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle claims of overcharging at its stores in Vermont between 2018 and 2024, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Those stores include the one in Hardwick, though how many of the 416 overcharges were in the local store are unknown.
This is not the first time Walgreens has found itself in trouble with a Vermont state agency. In February of 2024, the corporation settled with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) for $275,000 over claims that the company’s policies caused unsafe conditions for patients and staff at pharmacies around the state between 2020 and 2022.
The original charging document, presented by the OPR in response to 70 complaints filed by Walgreens employees and customers, as well as employees from other Vermont pharmacies, outlined dozens of alleged cases of medication and vaccination errors, staffing violations and unexpected store closures that left patients unable to obtain medications.
The company operated over 25% of the state’s licensed retail pharmacies at the time of the complaint, according to statistics provided in the charging document.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
