Pharmacy service expands at health clinics in Modesto, as national chains close stores
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- Golden Valley expands pharmacy services as local Rite Aid closures increase.
- Sixth Street clinic pharmacy opens to improve medication access after visits.
- Two additional pharmacies planned by 2026 to serve underserved communities.
A group of health centers serving low-income patients in Stanislaus and nearby counties said it’s expanding pharmacy services, while national drugstore chains are struggling.
Golden Valley Health Centers is now offering pharmacy service at its Sixth Street clinic serving west Modesto.
“Several pharmacy locations in the area are closing,” Peter Tawfik, director of Pharmacy Services for Golden Valley, said in a news release Thursday. “This is the perfect time for Golden Valley to add new pharmacy locations, expanding services to better support our patients’ needs. We want to ensure uninterrupted pharmacy services in the communities where we serve patients.”
Golden Valley operates more than 45 clinics in Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties. In the news release, Golden Valley said the pharmacy at the health center, at 1114 Sixth St., opened at the end of May. It makes it convenient for patients to pick up their prescribed medications shortly after an appointment at the clinic.
Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy in May for the second time in 19 months and the national chain has said it will close some stores in the Modesto area.
Golden Valley’s Sixth Street clinic used to have a low-cost pharmacy, operated by a contractor, but it closed in 2022. The health center was closed temporarily in April 2022 for a complete remodeling and was reopened in May 2023 with 24 examination rooms and clinic services including primary care, pediatrics, adolescent behavioral health and telepsychiatry, along with plans for the pharmacy.
The clinic provides access to care for underserved neighborhoods in west Modesto, helping patients who don’t have transportation or struggle with language barriers and financial difficulties. About 75% of the patients are in the Medi-Cal program.
Amy Carroll, a spokeswoman, said Golden Valley needed to hire pharmacy staff before operating the new service. The group also has a pharmacy at a Merced clinic.
Carroll said it was a struggle to find a contract pharmacy to resume serving clinic patients. “We realized it is easier to do it ourselves and have control over how the business works and the hours of operation,” she said.
There are plans for another pharmacy at the former Stanislaus County health clinic on Paradise Road, which was turned over to Golden Valley last year. Carroll said a remodel of the Paradise health center will include a dedicated space for the pharmacy service.
Another pharmacy is planned at Golden Valley’s Northview health center in Merced, which will bring the total to four. The two pharmacies are expected to open in the next year.
The health centers serving disadvantaged communities can receive some prescription drugs at discounted costs through government assistance.
Thursday’s news release said all insurance plans are accepted at the newly opened Sixth Street pharmacy and prescriptions are honored from health care providers who are not part of Golden Valley’s network. According to the clinic’s Web page, the pharmacy hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
