CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Gov. Jim Justice has written a letter appealing to a Walgreens executive about the planned closure of the chain pharmacy’s Parsons location.

The Walgreens is the only chain pharmacy in Parsons, with the next closest being in Elkins. There is a pharmacy in the St. George Medical Clinic in Parsons, but it isn’t open on Sundays.

In his letter, Gov. Justice wrote that Parsons Mayor Bruce Kolsum contacted the governor and “expressed deep distress over the impact this closure will have on the community and the
surrounding areas,” especially the economic impact and the impact on older residents.

Justice also said in his letter that the manager of the Parsons Walgreens expressed that they were not told of the decision to close the location until recently.

“This sudden closure not only creates uncertainty but also leaves the community with a void in access to vital products and services, including pharmaceuticals and other essential items that are not readily available elsewhere in the vicinity,” the letter reads.

When 12 News contacted Walgreens about the closure last week, we were told that the location would be closing on Dec. 14 due to “the existing footprint of stores and buy patterns, as well as dynamics of local markets, among other reasons.”

Justice’s letter addressed “significant development” in the area, in the form of the construction of the four-lane Corridor H, which will be Parsons’ first highway of that size. The development, according to Justice, will bring in “a new era of enhanced connectivity and growth for the region.”

It deeply concerns me that amidst these promising developments, the decision to close the
Parsons Walgreens was made. West Virginia does not view favorably the actions of major
corporations cherry-picking the locations they wish to serve and subsequently leaving smaller
communities without essential services. The closure of this crucial establishment seems
counterintuitive to the progress and potential that the region is poised to experience.

Gov. Jim Justice in a letter to Walgreens executive Tracey Brown

Justice concluded the letter by asking Brown to reconsider closing the location. Click here to read the full letter.