The mass closure of pharmacies across the United States is leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans without access to life-saving medications and basic medical care, a new analysis has revealed.
New national data from two industry bodies shows western states like Alaska and California have about 12 pharmacies per 100,000 residents, while eastern and southern states like New York and West Virginia have nearly 30 drugstores per 100,000 people.Â
Experts have blamed the increasing popularity of online drug services and financial hardship for many closures of brick and mortar operations.Â
However, shuttering pharmacies affects more than just prescriptions. Many Americans rely on these for vital healthcare services like routine vaccinations and diabetes monitoring.
Conducted by the Associated Press, the analysis looked at pharmacy locations down to the zip code level.Â
It found about two-thirds of the retail pharmacies in states with limited access were owned by large corporate chains, whereas independently-owned pharmacies are more likely to be in cities with larger populations.Â
Based on data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs and the American Community Survey, western states have some of the fewest locations per 100,000 people, including Alaska, Oregon and California.Â
The analysis also found eastern and southern states had the most access, with West Virginia, New York and Arkansas ranking among the top.Â
Closures among top pharmaceutical chains have been on the rise, with major players like CVS and Rite Aid shuttering hundreds of locations.Â
According to CVS, 85 percent of Americans live within five miles of one of their pharmacies, of which the company has more than 9,000 locations.Â
Not only do the stores allow customers to buy medications and fill their prescriptions, but some locations also provide vaccinations and basic medical care.
Dr Prakash Patel, a pharmacist who owns Bert’s Pharmacy in Elizabeth, New Jersey, told AP sometimes the pharmacy is a sick customer’s ‘first stop.’Â
He said: ‘There is no easy access to a doctor’s office. You need an appointment. They have limited hours. So any time any child or adult – whoever is sick – where are they going to go first? To the pharmacy.’
Additionally, Megan Undeberg, a community pharmacy expert at Washington State University, said pharmacists at rural drugstores often see and care for people more than doctors do, meaning they may be able to spot signs of dangerous medical conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
She told the publication: ‘You’re the smoking cessation counselor, you’re the suicide prevention counselor. You know just about everything about everyone, but it’s confidential.’Â
In November, CVS announced it had closed 564 of the 900 locations it had slated to shut down. Â
Another pharmacy giant, Rite Aid, boasts more than 1,700 locations across 16 states, employing more than 6,000 pharmacists and provides pharmacy, vaccination and basic medical care services.
In October, Rite Aid announced as part of its bankruptcy process it planned to close hundreds of underperforming stores.Â
Walgreens also provides similar services at its stores and within pharmacies at Duane Reade, which it acquired in 2010.Â
Last summer, the company announced it was planning to close approximately 150 locations in the US, as well as 300 stores in the UK.Â
Dr Dima Qato, a University of Southern California associate professor who studies pharmacy access, told AP when companies look to shut down stores, they often target lower-income and minority neighborhoods.Â
Dr Qato, who is a pharmacist, added: ‘They tend to close in these neighborhoods regardless of whether or not there is another pharmacy nearby.Â
According to additional data, more than 7,000 pharmacies have closed since 2019, but the researcher behind it, Lucas Berenbrok of the University of Pittsburgh, said that number is ‘conservative.’Â
Of those, about half were independent drugstores.Â
Pharmacies, both chain and independent often close because they are no longer profitable, are underperforming or the population in the surrounding area is dwindling. Â
However, rampant theft and crime has also played a more recent role in the closures.Â
In September 2023, a CVS store manager was shot and killed by a customer accused of shoplifting in Arizona and photos of chain drugstores in major cities like Washington, DC and New York show barren shelves after people have ransacked goods.Â
CapitalOne Research estimated stores lost nearly $87billion to retail theft in 2022 and projected by 2025, it will cost companies more than $115billion.Â
