The end of convenience: What the downfall of Walgreens means for America

Getty Images; iStock; Natalie Ammari/BI

The state of America's pharmacies is, in a word, bleak.

Pharmacies should, in theory, be a reliable business. Seven in 10 Americans take some sort of prescription medication, creating a huge stream of potential revenue: Pharmaceutical expenditures in the US hit $722.5 billion in 2023. What's more, many pharmacies serve as a convenient destination for all sorts of essentials, from aspirin to mascara. They are, in a sense, one of the last places...