An older population could result in more prescription drug sales. Retail health clinics could serve even more patients, and Accenture Plc (NYSE: ACN ) just released a report about this topic. The Affordable Care Act could mean more patients visiting physicians, which could also result in more prescription drug sales. There's also one macro factor that could hurt the pharmacies. Patents on many high profile, expensive drugs have expired in the last few years, and investors often call this situation the patent cliff. The patent cliff explains why the pharmacies have been able to sell more lucrative generic drugs, although it also explains the pharmacies' lackluster overall sales. When the patent cliff ends, the pharmacies' margins could drop. Revenue Store closures and the switch to generic drugs have both meant lower revenue for Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD). Both trends remained prominent in May 2013. Rite Aid reported that it has reduced its store count by 37 over the last year.