Year: 2022

Pharmacies are cutting hours and closing stores. What it means for customers.

USA Today, December 15, 2022, Bailey Schulz Major chains like Walgreens and Rite Aid say they’ve had to curb operating hours due to a national labor shortage. Experts say this shift – along with retail pharmacy closures – can hinder access to prescriptions, especially for low-income patients. Reduced operating hours at pharmacies can be more than just an…Continue Reading Pharmacies are cutting hours and closing stores. What it means for customers.

High-tech map promotes access to medicine and pharmacy services

USC News, November 2, 2022, Leigh Hopper A USC-developed interactive mapping tool shows the location of every pharmacy in the United States — and which neighborhoods are “pharmacy deserts.” Designing a map that identified ‘pharmacy deserts’ Her latest project is an interactive, nationwide mapping tool showing the location of every pharmacy in the United States…Continue Reading High-tech map promotes access to medicine and pharmacy services

NCPA Collaborates with USC on Groundbreaking Pharmacy Mapping Project

NCPA, October 24, 2022 ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Oct. 24, 2022) – A collaboration between the National Community Pharmacists Association and University of Southern California has resulted in a new interactive mapping tool that could promote health equity by identifying pharmacy shortage areas in the United States. It can also help policymakers see the consequences of unfair…Continue Reading NCPA Collaborates with USC on Groundbreaking Pharmacy Mapping Project

Are You Simply Sad or Do You Have Major Depressive Disorder?

Everyday Health, September 22, 2022, Nuna Alberts, LCSW Medically Reviewed by Allison Young, MD  Making matters more confusing, a medication you’re taking could also be to blame. A University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy study, published in 2018 in JAMA, estimated that 37.2 percent of U.S. adults may be using one or more…Continue Reading Are You Simply Sad or Do You Have Major Depressive Disorder?

Global, Regional and National Trends in Statin Utilisation in High-Income and Low/Middle-Income Countries, 2015–2020

USC Schaeffer, September 9, 2022, Stephanie Hedt Abstract Objective: Prior studies have reported inequitable global access to essential medicines for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, especially statins. Here we examine recent trends and disparities in statin utilisation at the income group, regional and country levels. Design: Ecological study. Pharmaceutical sales data were used to examine statin utilisation in…Continue Reading Global, Regional and National Trends in Statin Utilisation in High-Income and Low/Middle-Income Countries, 2015–2020

Some Neighborhoods on South and West Sides See Increasing ‘Pharmacy Deserts’

CBS News, August 9, 2022 Andrea Flores You may have heard about food deserts, areas where access to fresh food might not be easily accessible. But pockets of Chicago — particularly on the South and West sides — also lack convenient access to a local pharmacy. Dima Qato, director of the University of Southern California’s…Continue Reading Some Neighborhoods on South and West Sides See Increasing ‘Pharmacy Deserts’

In California, abortion could become a constitutional right. So could birth control.

CBS News, August 4, 2022 Rachel Bluth Californians will decide in November whether to lock the right to abortion into the state constitution. If they vote “yes” on Proposition 1, they will also lock in a right that has gotten less attention: the right to birth control. Should the measure succeed, California would become one…Continue Reading In California, abortion could become a constitutional right. So could birth control.

Fewer pharmacies found on Chicago’s South and West sides, an analysis finds

WBEZ Chicago, By Cheyanne Daniels, Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, August 3, 2022 Even as drug stores are providing more vital services — including COVID-19 tests and vaccinations, contraceptive counseling and wellness visits — a recent study shows communities on Chicago’s South and West sides have fewer pharmacy locations than other parts of the city. These areas…Continue Reading Fewer pharmacies found on Chicago’s South and West sides, an analysis finds

Risk for Heart Attack, Stroke or Death Can Double or Triple in Older Adults Concurrently Taking Multiple Medications with Cardiovascular Side Effects

USC Schaeffer Center, July 27, 2022 Using multiple medications with known cardiovascular adverse effects at the same time doubled, and sometimes tripled, the risk for a heart attack, stroke or death among older adults with no prior cardiovascular disease, according to new research published in Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety.   “Although the cardiovascular risks of…Continue Reading Risk for Heart Attack, Stroke or Death Can Double or Triple in Older Adults Concurrently Taking Multiple Medications with Cardiovascular Side Effects

LA pharmacies fall short on Plan B and other contraceptive access

KCRW, July 2, 2022 Janaya Williams The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade has some people worried that access to birth control will be next on the chopping block. But beyond the legal ramifications of a post-Roe nation, there are already major barriers to accessing contraception even in blue states like California and liberal…Continue Reading LA pharmacies fall short on Plan B and other contraceptive access