Challenges in Creating a Sustainable Pharmacy Workforce in Rural Areas | ASHP Midyear
Drug Topics December 9, 2024
A discussion with Brittany Norton, PharmD, director of ambulatory care at Sutter Health.
In the United States, pharmacy deserts have become an increasingly significant issue due to the continued closure of retail pharmacies. From 2010 to 2020, a recent study found that nearly 30% of all retail pharmacies operating in the country during that period had closed their doors by 2021.1 And of those, independent pharmacies faced a greater risk for closure compared to chain pharmacies.
Pharmacy deserts, which are defined as areas where residents have to travel farther to get to the closest pharmacy, are particularly prominent in rural areas of the country. According to one analysis, 2177 rural towns with populations between 500 and 5000 did not have...