WTTW News, October 27, 2017.
In some city neighborhoods pharmacies appear to be in abundant supply, but in others they are few and far between. As with areas that lack access to grocery stores, many residents of Chicago now live in “pharmacy deserts.”
“Pharmacies are an essential resource for any community. They provide medicines. They provide preventative services like health screenings and immunizations,” said Dima Qato, assistant professor of pharmacy, outcomes and policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “They provide basic hygiene products and essential goods, like diapers. They provide things people need to lead healthy lives for themselves and their families.”
“There have been persistent differences in the availability of pharmacies in segregated black communities and Hispanic communities on the South and West Sides, and in areas on the North Side,” Qato said. “It’s not just about pharmacy deserts. It’s about pharmacy closures. Recently, more pharmacies are closing across the city, particularly in areas that are pharmacy deserts or are becoming pharmacy deserts because of the consequences of the closures. At the same time, we see pharmacies opening in higher income and more affluent communities on the North Side.”