Urban and rural communities have come to depend on pharmacies as a trusted care option and a place for advice.

Rite Aid’s plan to close more stores as part of its bankruptcy process raises concern about how that might hurt access to medicine and care.

Rite Aid pharmacists were accused of ignoring obvious signs of misuse, including in prescriptions for “trinities,” a combination of opioids, benzodiazepine and muscle relaxants preferred by drug abusers for their increased euphoric effect.

The COVID-19 pandemic swept in some big changes to how drugstores and other retailers do business.