Pharmacy Closures Limiting Access to Preventative Patient Care

On top of their authoritative knowledge on medication dispensing, pharmacists have demonstrated a wide range of preventative care services available to patients in their communities. But as pharmacy closures continue to ravage storefronts across the country, those patients lose crucial access to care, creating a pharmacy desert.

“When those pharmacies are closing, patients are losing access to their medications that can help control their acute and chronic conditions,” Michael Murphy, PharmD, MBA, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, told Drug Topics. “But they're also losing access to their preventive care, like their vaccinations. Or if they're feeling sick and they need to have a conversation with that local health care professional, the pharmacist isn't there anymore.”

The general public may only require minimal pharmacy services such as over-the-counter products and basic medication dispensing. But for those in the community that have reaped the benefits of pharmacists’ expanding clinical services, the arrival of a pharmacy desert can be devastating to any community with a vulnerable or underserved population.

Watch part 4 of our interview with Murphy as he discusses the sheer importance of pharmacy services in the US and how pharmacy deserts are impeding on the progress pharmacy professionals have made throughout US history.

Also, stay tuned for the full-length podcast episode of our conversation with Murphy, who delved deep into the issue of pharmacy deserts, how it’s impacting US patients, and what the most ideal paths forward can be.

READ MORE: Debates on Pharmacy Desert Definition Impact Access to Care

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