By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Berlin’s newest pharmacy, MedOne, has officially taken over the town’s former Rite Aid after the major corporation closed its doors nationwide this year.

MedOne, which operates eight pharmacies across the state, has served Berlin and the surrounding areas at 10119 Old Ocean City Blvd since the end of the summer, filling a gap left by former tenant Rite Aid. The major retail pharmacy went out of business in 2025 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than two years.

Now, MedOne has taken over to meet the community’s pharmaceutical and convenience store needs. The business’s partner and store manager, Danish Nadeem said the decision to move into the location happened quickly, with the store opening on Aug. 18, the same day Rite Aid vacated the property.

“In terms of taking over the business, I can tell you it was very crazy,” he said. “When someone is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, there are a lot of issues that go along with that … It was an aggressive merger in the sense that we moved here so quickly. You could say it was less than two weeks.”

The urgency, Nadeem said, was vital to protecting patients.

“As soon as we found out that this community was losing a stable pharmacy in this location, we felt like we had to jump on this opportunity,” he said. “We understood that Rite Aid was closing all over the country, and a lot of patients were affected by that.”

He continued, “Patients are taking their maintenance medications. Our industry is very special, where we can’t close on certain days because people rely on us. We are a staple in the community. We make sure your mom, your grandma, your grandpa, and you are healthy and taking your medication when needed. That’s why we wanted to jump over here as soon as possible.”

Nadeem said that since opening in August, MedOne has been able to offer its customers something the previous company lacked — quality and personal service.

“Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens — they’re all corporations,” he said. “Unfortunately, when you work for them, you’re unable to do the extra things or go out of your way to take care of a patient.”

MedOne, he added, has none of those restrictions.

“When your insurance claim is rejected, or the insurance does not cover the product, and a patient has to pay out of pocket, we can work more with the patient because we don’t have that corporation requiring these obscure requirements and pushing their employees to push certain narratives,” he said. “Rather than pushing medications, pushing narratives, we’re pushing a healthy community here in Berlin.”

MedOne also offers complimentary delivery. This service is available nationwide, not just locally. Whether a patient travels south for the winter or forgets to pick up medication before a vacation, MedOne will ship prescriptions at no cost.

Additionally, to maintain comfort, MedOne has retained Rite Aid’s former staff.

“The main reason is to keep the familiarity aspect, and trust between store and community,” Nadeem said. “And then also to know how Rite Aid was doing certain things and how we can do it better.”

Beyond its full pharmacy operation, like Rite Aid, the store maintains its retail side, selling beauty products, toiletries, household items, snacks, and beverages. Additionally, MedOne is hoping to expand.

“We’re trying to cut half the store and create a health clinic to make it more convenient than a doctor’s office or urgent care,” the partner and store manager said.

The clinic would offer walk-in services, including flu and COVID testing, blood pressure checks, and quick diagnoses.

MedOne has been operational since Rite Aid’s closure and looks forward to continuing to serve Berlin’s residents.

“The day Rite Aid closed was the same day we opened up,” Nadeem said. “It was a convenience for our patients. We didn’t want them to go even an hour without being able to get their medication. That’s why we aggressively merged on and made sure we were able to get up and running.”