A recently published article in the peer-reviewed journal Health Affairs found that 29.4 percent of retail pharmacies operating between 2010 and 2020 had closed their doors by 2021, including both chains and independents. Independent pharmacies were more at risk for closure than chain pharmacies in all neighborhoods and across market characteristics. The risk for pharmacy closures was higher in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods than in White neighborhoods.
To address this issue, the authors recommended that policymakers consider strategies to support independent pharmacies, such as increasing their participation in government health programs and reforming reimbursement practices. Author Jenny Guadamuz is involved with the USC-NCPA Pharmacy Access Initiative and co-author Dima Qato is co-director of PAI. The PAI began work in 2021 and continuously works on pharmacy access issues as well as the Pharmacy Shortage Areas Mapping Tool.
You can read the article here.
