Walgreens in Saranac Lake is seen here Nov. 22. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

SARANAC LAKE — The pharmacy counter inside the Saranac Lake Walgreens is actually temporarily closing on Friday.

Though a sign posted on the front door of the building last week initially said the pharmacy would close on Dec. 2 due to a “staffing shortage,” Walgreens spokesperson Sami Stansberry said this week the actual closure date is on Friday.

The store will remain open for other over-the-counter medications. But until the pharmacy manager position is filled, people will need to drive to the chain’s location in Lake Placid to pick up their prescriptions with the company.

Managers and staff at the store said last week that they cannot speak to the press about the details. Stansberry said she does not have details on what caused the staffing shortage, or when the store might be able to reopen the pharmacy counter.

The sign on the door says the Saranac Lake and Lake Placid stores share a central profile system, so medication scripts can be pulled over to that location by Lake Placid staff when they are contacted. The Lake Placid store’s number is 518-523-5305.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” the sign reads.

People with automatic refill prescriptions will have their scripts automatically transferred to the Lake Placid location.

“All prescriptions will be automatically transferred,” Stansberry said.

If a medication is a controlled substance, the sign says people should speak with their doctors to have the script sent to the Lake Placid Walgreens.

Last month, Walgreens announced it was planning to close around 1,200 of its 8,500 locations in the coming year, as several major pharmacy chains scale back their presence.

Stansberry said there are no current plans to close the Saranac Lake Walgreens.