Access to Essential Medicines

Research in this area focuses on examining economic, clinical, social, and structural factors that can cause many individuals to go without access to essential medicines. Access to essential medicines, even inexpensive medications, can be influenced by a variety of social factors, such as race, ethnicity or citizenship status. Individuals living in disadvantaged communities often endure inadequate access to healthcare providers and pharmacies–factors that may result in medications being less accessible.

Select Publications:

Guadamuz, J. S., Durazo-Arvizu, R. A., Daviglus, M. L., Calip, G. S., Nutescu, E. A., & Qato, D. M. (2021). Statin nonadherence in Latino and noncitizen neighborhoods in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, 2012-2016. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

Guadamuz, J. S., McCormick, C. D., Choi, S., Urick, B., Alexander, G. C., & Qato, D. M. (2020). Telepharmacy and medication adherence in urban areas. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

Guadamuz, J. S., Durazo-Arvizu, R. A., Daviglus, M. L., Calip, G. S., Nutescu, E. A. , Qato, D. M.. Citizenship Status and the Prevalence, Treatment, and Control of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Adults in the United States, 2011-2016. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2020 Mar;13(3):e006215. doi: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.006215. Epub 2020 Mar 10.

Guadamuz, J. S., Durazo-Arvizu, R. A., Daviglus, M. L., Perreira, K. M., Calip, G. S., Nutescu, E. A., … & Qato, D. M. (2020). Immigration Status and Disparities in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (Visit 2, 2014–2017). American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1397-1404.

Alexander, G. C., & Qato, D. M. (2020). Ensuring access to medications in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA, 324(1), 31-32.

Qato, D. M., Alexander, G. C., Guadamuz, J. S., Choi, S., Trotzky-Sirr, R., & Lindau, S. T. (2020). Pharmacist-Prescribed And Over-The-Counter Hormonal Contraception In Los Angeles County Retail Pharmacies: Study examines access to preventive and emergency hormonal contraception for women and girls without a physician’s prescription at Los Angeles retail pharmacies. Health Affairs, 39(7), 1219-1228.

Guadamuz, J. S., Durazo-Arvizu, R. A., Daviglus, M. L., Calip, G. S., Nutescu, E. A., & Qato, D. M. (2020). Citizenship status and the prevalence, treatment, and control of cardiovascular disease risk factors among adults in the United States, 2011–2016. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 13(3), e006215.

Guadamuz, J. S., Alexander, G. C., Chaudhri, T., Trotzky-Sirr, R., & Qato, D. M. (2019). Availability and cost of naloxone nasal spray at pharmacies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2017. JAMA Network Open, 2(6), e195388-e195388.

Qato, D. M., Alexander, G. C., Chakraborty, A., Guadamuz, J. S., & Jackson, J. W. (2019). Association between pharmacy closures and adherence to cardiovascular medications among older US adults. JAMA Network Open, 2(4), e192606-e192606.

Qato, D. M., Lee, T. A., Durazo‐Arvizu, R., Wu, D., Wilder, J., Reina, S. A., … & Daviglus, M. L. (2016). Statin and aspirin use among Hispanic and Latino adults at high cardiovascular risk: findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Journal of the American Heart Association, 5(4), e002905.

Policy Impact:


House Bill 591 (ILLINOIS)

Ford Introduces Legislation for Greater Pharmacy Access: State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, has introduced legislation in the 102nd Illinois General Assembly to ensure greater access to pharmacy services for Illinois Medicaid recipients. Read House Bill 591 (Illinois) here.

White House Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, January 21, 2021

Increasing Access to Vaccines: The press briefing touched on the topic of increasing access to vaccines to people who are in pharmacy-desert areas, where they don’t have easy access to a pharmacy. Read a transcript of the press briefing here.

Public Act 100-0567 (ILLINOIS)

RE: Critical Access Pharmacies’ (CAP) Self-Attest Criteria: Per Public Act 100-0587 and recently adopted rules at 89 Ill. Admin. Code Section 140.439, HFS is required to make quarterly payments to Critical Access Pharmacies (CAPs). A CAP is defined as an Illinois-based brick and mortar pharmacy whose owners have an ownership or control interest in fewer than 10 pharmacies and is a) located in a county with fewer than 50,000 residents; or b) located in an area designated as a Medically Underserved Area by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). A brick and mortar pharmacy is defined as a pharmacy that is open to the public, where participants present at the pharmacy to fill prescriptions, and the majority of the pharmacy’s business is not mail-order based. Read Public Act 100-0567 (Illinois) here. 

House Bill 1382 (INDIANA)

State Rep. Charlie Brown’s pharmacy desert study bill endorsed by Indiana House: House Bill 1382 urges the Legislature to study ways to eliminate pharmacy deserts across Indiana. Read House Bill 1382 here. 

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