"Struggling with a Pharmacy Desert? Discover Easier Ways to Access Your Medication"

You’ve probably heard of food deserts: areas with limited access to fresh and affordable produce and other foods. Now, researchers from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are calling attention to a similar phenomenon that also impacts public health: pharmacy deserts. 

Their study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that nearly half of counties in the United States—46%—have at least one so-called “pharmacy desert,” where there is no retail pharmacy within 10 miles.

“There’s been increased interest in pharmacies lately, as we’ve heard in the lay press, with CVS closing close to 900 stores over the next three years, and Rite Aid filing for bankruptcy,” Timothy Pawlik, MD, PhD, MPH, senior author and surgeon-in-chief at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Health. “We were interested in looking at this concept of pharmacy deserts as analogous to food deserts.”

The study revealed that pharmacy deserts, found in both rural and urban settings, are located in areas that are up to 40% more likely to have fewer primary care providers and higher social vulnerabilities, such as poverty and lack of access to transportation. Additionally, the burden of chronic diseases is often higher in many of these more socially vulnerable neighborhoods, according to Pawlik.

“So it’s really a double-jeopardy and triple-jeopardy phenomena that we’re seeing,” Pawlik said.

Here’s what you need to know about the impacts of pharmacy deserts, as well as how to more easily access medication if you live in one.

Living in a pharmacy desert is more than an inconvenience: it can have serious consequences for individuals and the public.

Not being able to easily access prescription medications could be a problem if you have a medical issue that needs prompt treatment, such as an infection, Alison Lum, PharmD, a former pharmacist and current vice president of pharmacy services at Blue Shield of California, told Health. 

It could also be risky for people who take ongoing medication for chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. Without a convenient option for accessing prescriptions, some people may ration their medication or stop treatment altogether. This behavior “could pose significant health complications, potentially leading to long-term health risks,” HaVy Ngo-Hamilton, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist and a pharmacy editor at BuzzRx, told Health.

Additionally, people living in pharmacy deserts may miss out on pharmacy perks, such as valuable interaction with pharmacists and the opportunity to buy lower-cost medications. “Patients in pharmacy deserts do not have the option to collaborate with their pharmacists to secure lower medication costs through discounts, which may come from third parties or the pharmacy group itself,” Patrick Hawthorne, veteran Walgreens pharmacist and current senior vice president at MedAdvisor Solutions, told Health. 

As for the effect on society, Jennifer Bourgeois, PharmD, a pharmacy and health expert for SingleCare, told Health that pharmacy deserts can increase the burden on the healthcare system. For one, people may go without the vaccines that pharmacies offer. They may also turn to emergency rooms or urgent care centers for problems that could have been managed with proper pharmaceutical care, she said.

Fortunately, people living in pharmacy deserts can take steps to reduce the burden. If you live in one, here are some tips and strategies to ensure you have access to the medications you need.

Patients living in pharmacy deserts should talk to their healthcare providers about potential roadblocks to securing their medications, Ngo-Hamilton said. “They may be able to help find workarounds, such as prescribing larger supplies of their medications at a time, minimizing the need to spend time and money traveling to obtain prescriptions,” she explained.

When you live in a pharmacy desert, it’s a good idea to make the most of the time you do get to spend with a pharmacist. For example, Ashleigh Netter, PharmD, former vice president of pharmacy operations at Louisiana Healthcare Connections and founder and CEO of ADN Strategic Innovations, recommends keeping an updated list of your medications and bringing it with you when you talk to a pharmacist.

“I often encouraged my patients to review their medications regularly with me,” she told Health. “It gave me opportunities to discuss adverse interactions, ensure they’re taking the most effective treatments, make recommendations of what basic over-the-counter medications to take and keep on stock at home, and most importantly, coordinate prescription pickups with their routine travel, reducing their burden of living in a pharmacy desert.”

It is becoming increasingly common for health insurance companies to partner with mail-order pharmacies like ExpressScripts or CarelonRx, which ship prescription medications directly to patients. “Getting medications delivered through mail-order service is highly recommended since shipping is free and patients usually save money with this option,” Ngo-Hamilton said. It’s usually easiest to go through your insurance company—rather than finding a mail-order pharmacy on your own—to ensure your prescriptions will be covered under your plan.

Some delivery services traditionally used for food and groceries, like DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart, can also be used for prescription delivery in states where it’s legal, Ngo-Hamilton explained. Unlike going through a mail-order prescription service, you would still get your medications from a local pharmacy where you can speak to—and build relationships with—pharmacists.

Whether you’re getting your prescriptions by mail or in person at a pharmacy, ask if getting an extended supply is possible. “A 90-day supply of your medications can reduce the number of trips to the closest pharmacy or reliance on delivery services,” Bourgeois said.

Specifically, patients living with chronic health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol may have the option to order a 90-day supply of generic medication. “With free shipping, the co-pays for the 90-day supply of these medications are often significantly cheaper,” Ngo-Hamilton explained. If your insurance doesn’t cover these larger supplies, services like prescription discount cards can help keep out-of-pocket costs manageable, she added.

If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA), look into how you can use them to reimburse yourself for medically necessary transportation costs, Ngo-Hamilton advised. “You can also use them to stock up on over-the-counter medications that don’t require a prescription,” she said.

Speaking of which, Bourgeois recommends keeping a well-stocked supply of essential over-the-counter medications like pain relievers, antihistamines, and first aid materials at home to manage minor health issues without needing immediate access to a pharmacy.

In recent years, more large grocery chains—like Kroger, Publix, Fry’s, Meijer, and Safeway—and big box stores like Target and Walmart have incorporated pharmacy departments into their retail establishments. According to Pawlik and Ngo-Hamilton, this can help improve access in communities that lack standalone pharmacies.

Additionally, Netter recommends looking for healthcare providers and medical facilities with onsite pharmacies. “This is beneficial because it ensures patients are seen and receive their medication promptly in one trip, saving time and additional travel,” she said.