Ten Fagen Pharmacy locations in Northwest Indiana will close and eight will be converted into CVS pharmacies by late September as a result of the acquisition of the small local chain by the pharmacy giant.
CVS Pharmacy announced Wednesday that it will acquire 20 Fagen Pharmacy locations in Northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois
Details of the transaction will not be disclosed, according to CVS spokeswoman Amy Lanctot.
CVS will close 10 locations in the area and two others and transfer all pharmacy files from those locations to nearby CVS stores, according to CVS officials.
CVS expects to hire many of the Fagen Pharmacy employees currently working at those locations, which include stores in DeMotte, Wheatfield, Roselawn, Francesville, Westville, South Haven, Hobart, Hammond, Gary, Munster, Valparaiso and Beecher, Ill.
Fagen Pharmacy stores in Winfield, Valparaiso, East Chicago, Whiting, Michigan City, Griffith and two stores in Gary will remain open under the CVS name.
Lanctot said the transition should be seamless for customers.
Lanctot said the U.S. Post Office substation in the Winfield Pharmacy will close prior to the store's transition, but the CVS there will sell stamps and offer money orders and Western Union services.
She said the four remaining Fagen locations that sell alcoholic beverages will continue to do so and CVS may consider adding alcohol in the future at the four locations that don't sell it currently.
The remaining pharmacies will not continue to sell tobacco products, however, in keeping with CVS Pharmacy's 2014 decision to stop selling tobacco.
"I'd like to thank all of our patients and employees for their loyalty and dedication over the past 45 years," said Gerald A. Fagen, owner of Fagen Pharmacy. "I'm grateful to have been able to serve the pharmacy needs of our community and I am confident that CVS Pharmacy will provide the same top-notch customer service and pharmacy expertise we have provided at Fagen Pharmacy."
Everett Moore, area vice president, CVS Pharmacy, said CVS looks forward to bringing its innovative pharmacy care programs and services to Fagen Pharmacy patients in Indiana and Illinois.
"We will continue to provide excellent care to patients and look forward to introducing our industry-leading offerings at these new locations," Moore said.
CVS Pharmacy offers clinical pharmacy services, medication adherence programs, automatic refills to help patients take their medications on time and as directed, immunizations, text alerts to inform patients when their prescriptions are ready, and digital tools to help patients manage their prescriptions.