The study revealed that by 2021, over 29% of U.S. pharmacies had closed, impacting neighborhoods predominantly inhabited by Black and Latino residents.
Researchers highlighted that independent pharmacies in areas with high Medicaid and Medicare recipients were at greater risk of closure, exacerbating healthcare access issues.
The trend of drugstore closures intensified from 2018 onward, driven by rising costs, reduced reimbursements for prescriptions, and shifting consumer behaviors.
Professor Dima Qato noted that excluding independent pharmacies from certain insurance networks deprives them of customers, further threatening their sustainability in vulnerable communities.
#pharmacy-closures #healthcare-access #black-and-latino-communities #drugstore-industry-trends #medicaid-and-medicare
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