When the Walgreens at No. Kingshighway Blvd., and Natural Bridge Road in St. Louis’ Penrose neighborhood shuttered its doors on March 27, 2025, it was more than just a store closing.
The abrupt end to the pharmacy located within the state meant that many of its customers, including seniors who have difficulty finding transportation, would have to travel more than four miles to the nearest Walgreens.
Other national pharmacies have also recently closed, creating a “pharmacy desert.”
GreaterHealth Pharmacy and Wellness has a remedy, though. It plans to open a new location soon to serve its nearby neighborhoods.
The City of St. Louis Community Development Administration (CDA) recently approved $600,000 in funding to GreaterHealth, Missouri’s only Black-owned pharmacy, to expand access to its services for more North St. Louis residents.
GreaterHealth founder Dr. Marcus Howard said his pharmacy will be in an area “where access to vital medications and pharmacy care has become even more limited due to the closure of several local Walgreens stores.”
Howard said a location is being determined, adding that GreaterHealth plans to partner with a leading healthcare provider in North St. Louis “to ensure residents receive a comprehensive, coordinated healthcare experience.”
“I am deeply grateful for the CDA’s support and excited to expand GreaterHealth’s services to more residents in North St. Louis, the neighborhood where I grew up.
“Our goal is to ensure every family has easy access to the care they need to stay healthy.”
A recent report from the St. Louis City Department of Health shows that a sizable number of North St. Louis residents live in pharmacy deserts, with limited options for medication access.
“The problem that has worsened as national pharmacy chains have shuttered locations throughout the community,” said Howard.
Howard, a 2023 Salute to Excellence in Healthcare Award recipient during the St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Excellence in Healthcare, said the new location will offer “the same trusted services” available at GreaterHealth’s Delmar location.
This includes free home delivery, virtual medication counseling, care coordination, vaccines, and exceptional customer service “tailored to the unique needs of North St. Louis residents.”
“This expansion marks a major step forward in addressing health inequities and improving quality of life for thousands in North St. Louis,” said Howard.
With the help of financial backers including Maxine Clark, CEO of Delmar DivINe, Howard opened his first location in that development in 2023 with assistance of the St. Louis Health Department, the St. Louis County Health Department, Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) and Seed STL.
GreaterHealth has also partnered with SSM Health to create an Express Urgent Care clinic on site, which serves a community without an urgent care center nearby.
“Every day and at all times that the pharmacy is open, there’s a nurse practitioner who can prescribe medication and a physician’s assistant who can talk to patients about any health issues they are experiencing,” Howard told STLMade.
Another partner is the St. Louis Community Credit Union, which carries the pharmacy’s free delivery cards in select branches and is collaborating with Howard on a joint marketing campaign.
“Our goal together is to make sure the community is healthy and wealthy, right? So, we’ve collaborated on a community health, community wealth initiative,” said Howard.
Howard is a Metro High School graduate who attended the University of North Carolina, where he earned an undergraduate degree in exercise and sports fitness.
His education pursuit continued at North Carolina State where he earned two post graduate degrees, including a PhD, in education.
In addition to his pharmaceutical endeavor, Howard is also founder of ROSA, a mental health agency which developed the app Rosa Powered. It has quickly gained popularity and is used in school districts throughout the region.