Category: Pharmacy Access

Pharmacy deserts pose challenges for residents of some Baltimore neighborhoods

The Baltimore Banner, April 26, 2023, Clara Longo de Freitas and Ryan Little A Baltimore Banner data analysis found majority-Black and majority-minority neighborhoods have a slight disadvantage in access to pharmacies compared to mostly white communities. Pharmacies play a multifaceted role in communities. In addition to selling over-the-counter medications and dispensing prescriptions, pharmacies serve as…Continue Reading Pharmacy deserts pose challenges for residents of some Baltimore neighborhoods

Community leaders raise concerns about health care, pharmacy access in wake of Walmart closures

Chicago Tribune, April 17, 2023, Talia Soglin Community leaders raise concerns about health care, pharmacy access in wake of Walmart closures. Read More…Continue Reading Community leaders raise concerns about health care, pharmacy access in wake of Walmart closures

Walmart to close four Chicago stores this weekend

WBEZ Chicago, April 12, 2023, by Lynnea Domienik, Stephanie Kim Walmart to close four Chicago stores this weekend Sunday will be the last day to shop. Pharmacy customers have up to 30 days to fill orders. Walmart has announced it will shutter half of its Chicago stores this weekend. The retail giant says the four stores…Continue Reading Walmart to close four Chicago stores this weekend

Qato Awarded $1.65M NIH Grant

USC Mann, March 22, 2023 Funding will support research to advance policies within Medicare Part D to prevent pharmacy closures and advance equitable access to medicines. Dima M. Qato, associate professor of pharmacy at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of the Program on Medicines and Public Health, was awarded…Continue Reading Qato Awarded $1.65M NIH Grant

How pharmacy deserts are formed

Healthcare Brew, March 15, 2023, by Maia Anderson In some parts of the US, it seems no matter where you look, you can find a Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid. But many neighborhoods still lack convenient access to a pharmacy. These areas are called “pharmacy deserts,” but unlike actual deserts, they’re all over the US. …Continue Reading How pharmacy deserts are formed

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

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.