Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. retail pharmacies have closed since 2010

Medical Xpress December 3, 2024
University of Southern California

About 1 in 3 U.S. retail pharmacies have closed since 2010, with the vast majority of states experiencing an overall decline in drugstores in recent years, according to a new study from researchers at USC and the University of California, Berkeley. Pharmacy closures significantly impact public health, making it harder for people to access prescriptions and essential health services.

The study, published Dec. 3 in the journal Health Affairs, analyzes local and market characteristics of pharmacy closures between 2010 and 2021. With thousands of more pharmacy closures expected in the coming years, researchers said their findings offer a roadmap for identifying which communities are most at risk of losing drugstores and for crafting policies that may help them survive.