The busy CVS Pharmacy location in Uphams Corner at 778 Dudley St. is the latest chain pharmacy store to announce its closure in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury over the last two years. They will close Dec. 18, five days before Christmas. Seth Daniel photo
Yet another pharmacy is closing its doors in Dorchester.
The CVS on Dudley Street in Uphams Corner will close on Dec. 18, company officials confirmed today after an inquiry from The Reporter.
“We’ve made the difficult decision to close the CVS Pharmacy at 778 Dudley Street in Dorchester on December 18,” a spokesperson from the Rhode Island-based chain said in astatement. “Maintaining access to pharmacy services in the communities we serve is an important factor we consider when making store closure decisions. Other factors include local market dynamics, population shifts, a community’s store density, and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community.”
The closure is a blow to the Uphams business district, where CVS has been considered an anchor tenant.
Word of the pending closure travelled quickly on Wednesday. Employees at the store indicated they had learned the news on Tuesday. Customers of the pharmacy were notified on that day as well and were advised that their prescriptions would be transferred to a Grove Hall location at 468 Blue Hill Ave.
“Employees (at Uphams) are being offered comparable roles within the company,” the CVS spokesperson said.
The closure will be the latest in a slate of other pharmacy shut-downs in the area, including a Walgreens location at Codman Square in September and the earlier closures of the Walgreens on Gallivan Boulevard and River Street in Mattapan. A CVS location on Harrison Avenue near Boston Medical Center closed several years ago.
City Councillor John FitzGerald, who represents the area, said the Uphams closure will be “more than an inconvenience.”
“It reduces access to vital medications, health supplies, and everyday essentials for an entire neighborhood,”FitzGerald said. “It’s yet another example of what happens when corporate profit is valued over the health of our communities. I’ll continue working with residents, local partners, and city leaders to ensure Uphams Corner isn’t left without the services we depend on.”
The CVS spokesperson said they still have five CVS locations in Dorchester and offer delivery options for customers.
Those not wanting to stick with the chain may opt to stay closer to home by using Uphams Community Care, which stepped up to bolster its pharmacy offerings in 2024 when other chain stores started closing.
“In an era where our for-profit pharmacies are shutting their doors and making pharmacy deserts in our neighborhood, we are stepping forward,” said Jagdeep (Jay) Trivedi, CEO of Uphams Community Care, in a 2024 story in The Reporter. “We are not looking at profit margins, we are looking at what our community needs and deserves.”
The property owner of the Dudley Street building that leases space to CVS, Agree Realty of Michigan, did not return an email looking for comment on the future of the large storefront. The CVS is directly next door to busy Brothers Supermarket. The vacancy does add to several prominent vacancies in the area, including Rainbow Fashions and the Amado Enterprises building that are both in the heart of the Uphams Corner district.
