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City council advances petition to require 120-day pharmacy closure notices
Summary
Council advanced a petition asking the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy to lengthen mandated pharmacy closure notice from 14 to 120 days, require municipal notification and stronger patient notice, citing loss of neighborhood pharmacies and public-health impacts.
The Boston City Council voted to advance a petition urging the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy to revise 247 CMR §6.13 and require at least 120 days' notice for permanent pharmacy closures, municipal notification and more robust patient notice practices.
Sponsor Councilor Colette Zapata told the council the petition follows working sessions and testimony showing a net loss of neighborhood pharmacies and disruptions to access for seniors, people with disabilities and patients with chronic conditions. "It was consensus of the committee that extending the notice requirement from 14 days to 120 days was necessary to reduce abrupt service gaps and to ensure continuity of care," Zapata said.
Committee and administration witnesses — including Boston Public Health Commission staff and Office of Economic Opportunity & Inclusion representatives — testified about data showing a net loss of pharmacies since 2018 and policy options to mitigate closures. The proposed municipal-notification requirement would obligate pharmacies to alert a relevant city office (city clerk, mayor's office, or equivalent) in addition to the state board; committee members argued that municipal notice would allow the city to coordinate transition planning and search for replacement pharmacy services.
Councilors asked about causes of closures; the council cited a recent BPHC report mapping pharmacy deserts and pointed to insurer reimbursement problems and narrow profit margins for independent pharmacies. Council President highlighted policy options such as payment reforms, preferred pharmacy networks, and support from community health centers.
The council adopted the petition in a new draft and approved docket 1453 by roll call. The measure requests that the pharmacy board undertake rulemaking to implement the longer notice standard and municipal-notification requirements. The petition is a request to a state board — not a municipal ordinance — and would only take effect if the state board engages in formal rulemaking.
