By Liz BrodyPublished for Oprah daily on Jan 28, 2025 (...) Of course, that’s still out of reach for many people. Qato’s research in JAMA Health Forum hits on the hard truth of the inequity playing out. While obesity disproportionately affects those on Medicare and Medicaid, in 2023, nearly 90 percent of Wegovy prescription fills…

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By Nada Hassanein for Stateline on January 17, 2025 Independent drugstores are closing at an alarming rate — about one a day in 2023 — squeezed by the huge companies that reimburse pharmacies for costly medications. But with each closure, a community loses more than another place where they can buy medicine. Experts say independent…

Dima Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD presented on pharmacy closures and policy implications at Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Foundation Research Symposium, "Access, Affordability and Adherence: Addressing Disparities in Medication Use," December 3-4.

Dima M. Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD was quoted in AARP about the importance of signing up for a health plan that provides more pharmacy options.

The New Yorker ("Is Contraception Under Attack?") cited Qato’s study finding that oral contraceptive prescriptions had fallen in states with restrictive abortion policies.

‘Unprecedented' number of pharmacies shuttered in recent years, putting Black and Latino communities at risk By Helen Jeong and Ted Chen for NBC Los Angeles, December 5, 2024 Black and Latino communities are facing growing risks of losing access to medical services as an unprecedented amount of pharmacies across the U.S. closed in the recent…

Over 50% of U.S. Adults Are Eligible for Ozempic and Wegovy, But Access Remains Difficult By Stephanie Brown for Verywellhealth, December 13, 2024 Semaglutide has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for type 2 diabetes management, weight loss, and heart disease prevention. About 137 million Americans—more than half of all adults—are eligible…

As Drugstores Close, Older People Are Left in ‘Pharmacy Deserts’ By Paula Span for NY Times, Dec. 21, 2024 Shuttered drugstores pose a particular threat to older adults, who take more medications than younger people and often rely on pharmacies for advice. Nearly 30 percent of pharmacies in the United States closed between 2010 and…

US drugstores vanish as pressures mount on business model By Gregory Meyer for Financial Times, December 24 2024 American drugstores are disappearing from street corners, with big chains Walgreens and CVS closing hundreds of locations and independent pharmacies struggling to survive. The number of pharmacies peaked in the middle of the past decade at about…

Dima M. Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD is quoted in an AARP article on foods that don’t mix with prescription drugs.

Dr. Dima Qato served as a panelist for Innovative Approaches & Sustainable Strategies session at the Supply Chain Disruptions: Impacts on Vulnerable Communities workshop (Sep 12, 2023) conducted by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

A panel discussion featuring Dima M. Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD, "Innovative Approaches & Sustainable Strategies," presented during a Sept. 12 virtual workshop on supply chain disruptions organized by the National Academies' Science and Technology for Resilience Program, was highlighted in a new summary publication by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Dima Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD will present "Pharmacy Deserts and Disparities in Pharmacy Access to PrEP in Black/Latinx Neighborhoods," UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) INSIGHTS lecture series, Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 11 am.

Dima M. Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD will deliver an invited talk at the APhA Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 24, "The Problem of Pharmacy Deserts: Health Equity Implications and Potential Solutions."

Dima M. Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD presented an invited talk, the Coy W. Waller Distinguished Lecture, "Structural Racism and Disparities in Access to Essential Medicines in the U.S.," Friday, October 4, University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.

Dima Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD was an invited panelist at Kearny Health Equity Summit 3.0 on Friday, October 17

Here’s what CVS’s potential breakup could mean for you By Janelle Nanos Globe Staff,Updated October 1, 2024 Over the past year, CVS has made a concerted push to court seniors to enroll in its Aetna Medicare programs by offering free sports equipment, fishing rods, and other enticements. It worked maybe a little too well for…

Why drugstores could be on the list of troubled business models Published on Market Place by Matt Levin Oct 15, 2024   “When they do close, they’re more likely to close in Black and Latinx neighborhoods, low income neighborhoods, and neighborhoods where a larger share of the population is covered by Medicare or Medicaid,” said…

More pharmacy closures leave consumers in pharmacy deserts without access to medications Published on USA Today by Betty Lin-Fisher on 10/18/2024 Nearly half of U.S. counties, or 46%, had at least one pharmacy desert, according to an article in August in the American Medical Association journal JAMA. The report used data from 2000 and does…

Birth control doesn’t cause abortions – but that misconception is blocking access Published on 10/22/2024 by Elizabeth Weise in USA Today Birth control remains legal in all 50 states and can be purchased over the counter with no age limit. But lawmakers in at least seven states have attempted to cut off funding or scuttle…

Post-Roe, States With Abortion Bans Saw Steep Declines in Birth Control Prescriptions Published on 9/26/2024 by Carrie N. Baker in Ms. The June 2022 Supreme Court decision eliminating the constitutional right to abortion was followed by steep declines in prescriptions for birth control pills and emergency contraception in states where abortion is banned. This finding…

Emergency Contraception Fills in Massachusetts Spiked After This Policy Change Published on 8.14.2024 by Elizabeth Nolan Brown on Reason Between August 2022 and October 2023, the number of people filling emergency contraception prescriptions in Massachusetts spiked. Was the state experiencing an epidemic of unprotected sex? Probably not. Researchers attribute the increase to the state making it…

Story by Michael Merschel, American Heart Association News, Aug 12, 2024 Protecting yourself from the painful shingles virus may also protect cardiovascular health About 1 in 3 people in the U.S. will have shingles in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles affects only people who have been previously exposed to…

Tina Reed on Axios Access is unequal to weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy: study Prescriptions for blockbuster drugs that treat diabetes, obesity and heart disease are soaring, but the mix of payers shows access to the drugs is far from equitable, per a study published in JAMA Health Forum. The USC-led study found a 442%…

Published on Aug 7, 2024 by Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY The demand for popular prescription drugs that treat diabetes, obesity and heart disease has skyrocketed over the past few years. New research from the University of Southern California showed a 442% increase in prescriptions for semaglutide between January 2021 and December 2023. Semaglutide is the…

The paper on Association Between Pharmacy Closures and Adherence to Cardiovascular Medications Among Older US Adults was cited on FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION report Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The Powerful Middlemen Inflating Drug Costs and Squeezing Main Street Pharmacies (Interim Staff Report, July 2024)

Released on 2-JUL-2024 by EurekAlert The Massachusetts statewide standing order policy was associated with a 32% increase in emergency contraceptive fills at pharmacies versus comparison states. After the policy, fills for prescription-only ulipristal more than doubled and accounted for the observed increases in fills for emergency contraceptives. Read more here

Published on JUNE 26, 2024 By Elissa Nadworny, NPR Birth control prescriptions are down in states with abortion bans A study finds sharp drops in prescriptions for birth control and emergency contraception in states like Texas that implemented highly restrictive bans after the Supreme Court upended abortion rights. Read more here

Published Wed June 26, 2024 - By Deidre McPhillips, CNN Women have become less likely to get birth control in states that restricted abortion, study finds Women in states with the most restrictive abortion laws have also become less likely to access prescription birth control, a new study suggests. In a dozen states that have enacted…

Published February 14th, 2024 - By Avery Bleichfeld, The Bay State Banner Walgreens’ closing triggers fears of ‘pharmacy desert’ - Seniors feeling effects of latest shutdown in Roxbury Since November 2022, four Walgreens have closed in Boston, all in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods. One was in Mattapan, one in Hyde Park and two in…

Published Wed December 20, 2023 - By Kristen Rogers, CNN Emergency contraception sales may surge after New Year’s, study suggests Sales of emergency contraception in the United States may spike by around 10% following New Year’s celebrations, according to a new study that found the trend has occurred over the past several years. New Year’s…

Posted at Dec 19, 2023, By Ben Jordan, TMJ4, Milwaukee among 8 cities with the worst pharmacy desert disparities, study shows Walgreens is planning to permanently close its third Milwaukee store in the past three months. The latest closure highlights the little-known issue of pharmacy deserts in Milwaukee. A 2021 study shows the city has…

Posted On DEC. 13, 2023 3 AM PT, By Emily Alpert Reyes, L.A. Times Pregnant people can get a shot to protect babies from RSV, but some hit hurdles (...) The shots have been hailed as a game changer for RSV, an illness that crowds pediatric wards in fall and winter and causes tens of…

December 9, 2023 Dima M. Qato, Hygeia Centennial Chair at USC Mann, was awarded a $437,920 grant from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE). The grant supports research assessing trends and impact of the availability of the medication buprenorphine for opioid-use disorder at pharmacies in communities across the U.S. Read more here

Published on December 8, 2023 By Sophie Putka, Enterprise & Investigative Writer, MedPage Mobile Unit Preferred for Buprenorphine Access People using opioids were significantly more satisfied with accessing buprenorphine from a mobile unit than from a pharmacy, a prospective cohort study in Chicago found. "This study, though very small, demonstrates that many people face barriers…

Posted on November 15, 2023, Spotlight on Poverty & Opportunity A conversation with Dr. Qato Most of us may not think twice about the ease with which we can get a prescription filled. But for many Americans, particularly people of color, pharmacy access is becoming an increasingly dire problem, especially in low-income and underserved communities.…

Published on Nov. 10, 2023, By Anika Nayak, STAT How pharmacy deserts are putting the health of Black and Latino Americans at risk As pharmacies shutter stores across the U.S., people in low-income and predominantly Black, Latino, and Indigenous neighborhoods are increasingly left in pharmacy deserts, without easy access to medications and other essentials. In…

Published Mon November 6, 2023 By Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN Drugstore closures could make pharmacy deserts even worse As major chains close their doors, the number of independent pharmacies in the United States has stayed pretty steady over the past three years, according to data from the National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents the interests of…

AP, October 17, 2023, By Tom Murphy Rite Aid’s bankruptcy plan stirs worries of new ‘pharmacy deserts’ Rite Aid’s plan to close more stores as part of its bankruptcy process could hurt access to medicine and care, particularly in some majority Black and Hispanic neighborhoods and in rural areas, experts say. The drugstore chain said late…

CNN Business, October 17, 2023, By Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid are closing thousands of stores. Here’s why Drugstore chains for decades saturated US cities, suburbs and small towns with new stores. Now, they are closing thousands of stores, leaving gaps in communities for medicines and essentials. (...) Retail pharmacy chains over…

Total Pharmacy September 2023, Volume 1 Issue 4,  Fred Gebhart Pharmacists Work to Sustain Care in Health Care Deserts When rural areas lose hospitals and primary care clinics, residents must turn to pharmacies to receive the care they need. Health care deserts, which are areas with poor access to hospitals, clinics, primary care, and other…

LAist 89.3 FM - Southern California Public Radio , May 15, 2023, Lindsey Wright A Birth Control Pill Could Soon Be Available Over The Counter, But It Might Not Be As Accessible As You Think. The panel of FDA advisers voted unanimously in favor of drugmaker Perrigo’s request to sell its once-a-day medication on store…

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…

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

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…

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…

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. …

BBC News, January 4, 2023 Dima Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD was interviewed by BBC Business Report about changes to how women can access abortion medication in the U.S. (interview starts at 5:26). Listen here