It happened faster than most of us expected. One day you’re walking into the red-and-white branded shop for a pint of Snoqualmie ice cream or a last-minute birthday card, and the next, the shelves are bare. If you’ve driven past the corner of Coal Creek Parkway lately, you’ve probably seen the change. The iconic Bartell Drugs Newcastle WA signage is a memory.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a gut punch for the locals.
For years, that specific spot at 6939 Coal Creek Parkway SE was more than just a place to pick up blood pressure meds. It was a Pacific Northwest staple. But as of late 2025, the Bartell Drugs name has officially vanished from the Newcastle landscape, swallowed up by a messy corporate bankruptcy and a subsequent rebranding that has left many neighbors feeling a little lost.
The Rite Aid Collapse and the End of an Era
To understand what happened to the Bartell Drugs Newcastle WA location, you have to look at the train wreck that was the Rite Aid acquisition. Back in 2020, Rite Aid bought the family-owned Bartell chain for about $95 million. At the time, they promised to keep the local "soul" of the brand alive.
They didn't.
By the time 2023 rolled around, Rite Aid was drowning in debt and facing massive lawsuits related to opioid prescriptions. They filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Then they filed again. The Newcastle store, which had served the community for decades, became a pawn in a massive liquidation game.
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In May 2025, the news broke: CVS Pharmacy was moving in.
The Rebranding of 6939 Coal Creek Parkway
If you go to that address today, you aren't walking into a Bartell’s. You’re walking into a CVS.
While the physical building is the same, the experience has shifted. CVS acquired 64 stores across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho as part of the Rite Aid fire sale. Newcastle was one of the first to undergo the "conversion."
What does that actually mean for you?
- Prescription Transfers: Your files likely moved automatically. You don't need to call your doctor to "move" to CVS; they already own your data.
- The Store Layout: It’s being standardized. That quirky, local PNW inventory—the stuff that made Bartell's feel like a neighborhood shop—is being replaced by the CVS global supply chain.
- The Staff: This is the bittersweet part. While some of the long-time pharmacy techs and clerks were offered positions at the new CVS, many of the faces we’ve known for a decade have moved on.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Closure
A lot of people think the Newcastle store closed because it wasn't profitable. That’s likely not the case. Newcastle is a high-traffic, affluent area. The store was busy.
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The real issue was the "parent company" weight. When Rite Aid went under, they didn't just close the "bad" stores. They sold off the assets that had the most value to competitors like CVS to pay back creditors. The Newcastle location was a trophy. It was sold because it was valuable, not because it was failing.
But for the customer standing at the counter, the "why" doesn't matter as much as the "now."
Why People Are Frustrated with the New Setup
Check the neighborhood forums or local reviews from late 2025, and you’ll see a pattern. People are frustrated.
There was a period during the transition where the phone lines at Bartell Drugs Newcastle WA simply didn't work. People were waiting on hold for 40 minutes only to be disconnected. Prescription refills were getting "lost" in the digital handoff between the old Bartell system and the new CVS interface.
One local resident, Tirzah J., recently shared a nightmare experience involving a medication mix-up and a complete lack of communication from management. It's a common story during these corporate handovers. The "neighborhood" feel is often the first thing to die when a massive corporation takes the wheel.
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Navigating the Pharmacy Desert in Newcastle
With Bartell's gone, the options in Newcastle have narrowed. You basically have a few choices if you aren't feeling the new CVS vibe:
- Safeway Pharmacy: Right across the street at 6911 Coal Creek Pkwy SE. It’s convenient, but since the Bartell closure, their lines have become significantly longer.
- Factoria Options: If you’re willing to drive five minutes north, there’s a QFC and another Rite Aid (for now) in the Factoria area.
- Mail Order: Many locals are just giving up on the brick-and-mortar hassle and switching to Amazon Pharmacy or PillPack.
Practical Steps for Former Bartell Customers
If you haven't been to the store since the 2025 rebranding, here is how you should handle your next visit to ensure you actually get your medicine.
Check your insurance first. Just because your insurance worked at Bartell’s doesn't mean it’s preferred at CVS. Some plans have strict "network" requirements. Call the number on the back of your card before you show up at the window.
Download the CVS App. Like it or hate it, the old Bartell app is dead weight. You’ll need to set up a new profile. Your history should be there, but you’ll likely need to verify your identity and insurance info from scratch.
Expect a wait. The staff is still learning the new systems. The "drive-thru" at the Newcastle location is notoriously slow during the 5:00 PM rush. If you can, go on a Tuesday morning. It’s the only time the place isn't a zoo.
Verify your refills. Don't trust the "Auto-fill" feature during a transition. Call at least three days before you actually run out of your pills. There have been reports of the system flagging "zero refills" during the data migration even when patients had plenty left on their original scripts.
The loss of Bartell Drugs Newcastle WA marks the end of a 135-year legacy for the brand in Washington. While the building still stands and you can still get your prescriptions filled, the era of the "local" drugstore is officially over for our corner of the Eastside. It's a corporate world now; we're just picking up our prescriptions in it.