With the recent announcement that two grocery stores in Picayune closing temporarily as they transition ownership, comes the news that a drug store will close permanently.

Rite Aid in Picayune, located at 416 Memorial Blvd., will close as of April 17 of this year as part of the purchase of 1,932 stores across the country by Walgreens, according to an emailed statement from Phil Caruso, Walgreens Media Relations.

As part of the purchase by Walgreens, 600 Rite Aid and Walgreens stores across the country will close, Caruso said in the statement. Two Walgreens locations are currently in operation within Picayune, one is located at 1505 Highway 43 S. the other is located at 2209 Highway 11 North.  Caruso states in the email that all prescription information stored at the Picayune Rite Aid will be transferred to the Walgreens location at 1505 Highway 43 South. As for the employees currently working at the Picayune Rite Aid, Caruso said in his statement, “we expect to have positions for the majority of affected team members at other locations.”

As to whether the Walgreens location on Highway 11 will remain open in Picayune Caruso said, “I have no information about closing that location.”

He also said he could not say what would happen with the  Rite Aid building once it is closed at press time.

While the exact percentage of Rite Aid employees who will be offered jobs at Walgreens was not available, Caruso said the company will do its best to offer those employes jobs within the same geography as the store undergoing the  closure.