The ongoing pharmacy closure crisis in Pennsylvania has become an alarming issue for communities throughout the commonwealth. Since 2020, more than 1,000 community pharmacies have shuttered their doors, creating a massive pharmacy desert that has engulfed cities, towns, suburbs and rural communities.
A pharmacy desert is any area where residents no longer have reasonable access to a local pharmacy. Closures force patients to travel farther for basic care, increasing the likelihood of missed doses, delayed treatment and avoidable complications. Patients are faced with a diminished range of options for filling prescriptions, receiving vaccinations and consulting with trusted professionals regarding their medications.
kAm$25=J[ a`b 4@>>F?:EJ A92C>24:6D @A6C2E6 😕 2C62D E92E H:== 6IA2?5 @FC 56D6CE 4C:D:D :7 E96J 4=@D6]k^Am
kAm%96D6 2C6 ?@E 4=2:>D E92E 42?’E 36 G6C:7:65] p 4@2=:E:@?[ !6??DJ=G2?:2?D 7@C !92C>24J p446DD[ 92D 4C62E65 2? :?E6C24E:G6 >2A @7 E96 4@>>@?H62=E9’D 8C@H:?8 56D6CE] *@F 42? D62C49 :E 3J 56D6CE 2C62D[ A92C>24J 4=@DFC6D[ A92C>24:6D F?56C E9C62E @7 4=@DFC6[ 4@F?E:6D 2?5 =68:D=2E:G6 5:DEC:4ED]k^Am
kAm#646?E 24E:@? 😕 (2D9:?8E@? E@ C6:? 😕 A92C>24J 36?67:E >2?286CD – E96 A@H6C7F= “>:55=6>6?” E92E >2?286 AC6D4C:AE:@? 5CF8 36?67:ED – H:== ?@E E2<6 67764E 7@C J62CD]k^Am
kAm!6??DJ=G2?:2 A2E:6?ED 2?5 4@>>F?:E:6D ?665 24E:@? ?@H 367@C6 :E’D E@@ =2E6]k^Am
kAm!q|D D:E 36EH66? 962=E9 A=2?D[ 5CF8 >2?F724EFC6CD 2?5 A92C>24:6D[ @7E6? C6:>3FCD:?8 A92C>24:6D 2E C2E6D E92E 42? 36 36=@H H92E :E 24EF2==J 4@DED E96 A92C>24J E@ AFC492D6 E96 >65:42E:@?]k^Am
kAm%9:?< 23@FE E92Ei !q|D C@FE:?6=J AC24E:46 H92E’D 42==65 DAC625 AC:4:?8 – 492C8:?8 962=E9 A=2?D >@C6 E92? E96J C6:>3FCD6 A92C>24:6D 2?5 A@4<6E:?8 E96 5:776C6?46]k^Am
kAm(@CD6[ >2?J C6:>3FCD6>6?ED 2C6 24EF2==J D6E 2E =6DD E92? H92E A92C>24:DED 24EF2==J A2J 7@C =:76D2G:?8 5CF8D] %96? E96J :>A@D6 C6EC@24E:G6 766D E@ DE66A6? E96 =@DD6D 7@C 4@>>F?:EJ A92C>24:6D]k^Am
kAmx? 2 7:?2= 3=@H[ !q|D DE66C A2E:6?ED E@H2C5 A92C>24:6D E96J @H?] p== @7 :E 😀 5@?6 H:E9 =:EE=6 E@ ?@ @G6CD:89E @C EC2?DA2C6?4J] pD E96 A92C>24J 4=@DFC6 4C:D:D H@CD6?D 2?5 @FC G2DE 56D6CE 6IA2?5D[ !q|D 2C6 DEF77:?8 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD :?E@ E96:C A@4<6ED[ 2?5 ?@ @?6 BF6DE:@?D E96>]k^Am
kAm(6 @H E9:D 3642FD6 H9:=6 !6??DJ=G2?:2 |65:42:5 6?C@==>6?E 92D =2C86=J C6>2:?65 DE625J[ |65:42:5 AC6D4C:AE:@? 5CF8 DA6?5:?8 😕 !6??DJ=G2?:2 :?4C62D65 7C@> S`]c 3:==:@? 😕 a_`b E@ Sc]e 3:==:@? 😕 a_aa] !2E:6?ED 5:5?’E 86E E92E >@?6J] r@>>F?:EJ A92C>24:6D 46CE2:?=J 5:5?’E] %96 4@>>@?H62=E9 5:5?’E]k^Am
kAm!6??DJ=G2?:2 >FDE 6?24E >62?:?87F= !q| C67@C>D ?@H[ A2:C65 H:E9 DEC:4E 6?7@C46>6?E[ C2E96C E92? H2:E:?8 7@C 7656C2= E:>6=:?6D E@ 42E49 FA E@ =@42= C62=:E:6D] %@@ >2?J 4@>>F?:E:6D H:E9 @?=J 2 D:?8=6 A92C>24J =67E 5@?’E 92G6 E92E >F49 E:>6]k^Am
kAmz66A:?8 A92C>24:6D @A6? C6BF:C6D 2 DJDE6> E92E 😀 EC2?DA2C6?E[ AC65:4E23=6 2?5 72:C] w6C6’D 9@H DE2E6 =2H>2<6CD 2?5 E96 $92A:C@ 25>:?:DEC2E:@? D9@F=5 7:I :Eik^Am
kAm• #2:D6 E96 |65:42:5 5:DA6?D:?8 766 E@ >66E E96 7656C2= DE2?52C5] s:DA6?D:?8 2 AC6D4C:AE:@? :D?’E D:>A=J 92?5:?8 @G6C 2 3@EE=6] xE :?4=F56D D276EJ 4964A=:2?46 C6BF:C6>6?ED]k^Am
kAm• q2? DAC625 AC:4:?8 2?5 C6BF:C6 72:C C6:>3FCD6>6?E 7@C 2== A92C>24:6D] !q|D D9@F=5 72:C=J C6:>3FCD6 6G6CJ A92C>24J[ ?@E @?=J E9@D6 E96J @H?[ H:E9 EC2?DA2C6?E AC:4:?8 36?49>2C
kAm• vF2C2?E66 A2J>6?E 7@C A92C>24:DE 4=:?:42= D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAm!92C>24:DED AC@G:56 6DD6?E:2= 4=:?:42= 42C6[ DF49 2D :>>F?:K2E:@?D 2?5 @E96C E:>6\32D65 D6CG:46D] !2J:?8 7@C E9@D6 D6CG:46D 6IA2?5D AC:>2CJ 42C6 42A24:EJ[ C65F46D 2G@:523=6 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@?D 2?5 :>AC@G6D @FE4@>6D]k^Am
kAm• !C6G6?E !q|D 7C@> DE66C:?8 A2E:6?ED E@ A92C>24:6D E96J @H?]k^Am
kAm• |@G6 E@ 2 D:?8=6 !q| >@56= 7@C |65:42:5 – E96 !6??DJ=G2?:2 DE2E6\7F?565 962=E9 42C6 AC@8C2>] (:E9 4=62C[ F?:7@C> CF=6D 2?5 244@F?E23:=:EJ[ H6 42? DE@A !q|D 7C@> >2<:?8 FA E96:C @H? CF=6D 2D E96J 8@]k^Am
kAm$6?2E6 q:== “ge[ DA@?D@C65 3J 2 3:A2CE:D2? 8C@FA @7 =2H>2<6CD =65 3J DE2E6 $6?D] {:D2 q@D4@=2[ s\{69:89[ 2?5 yF5J (2C5[ #\q=2:C[ H@F=5 AC@E64E A2E:6?E 2446DD E@ A92C>24:6D 3J 6DE23=:D9:?8 2 D:?8=6 A92C>24J 36?67:E 25>:?:DEC2E@C >@56= 7@C E96 |65:42:5 >2?2865 42C6 AC@8C2>] %9:D =68:D=2E:@? 9@=5D C62= AC@>:D6 7@C D=@H:?8[ 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J C6G6CD:?8[ !6??DJ=G2?:2’D A92C>24J 56D6CE]k^Am
kAm!6??DJ=G2?:2 92D 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 4C62E6 2 ?2E:@?2= >@56= E92E AFED A6@A=6 – ?@E !q|D – 7:CDE] tG6CJ !6??DJ=G2?:2? 56D6CG6D E@ 86E E96 42C6 E96J ?665 4=@D6 E@ 9@>6]k^Am
kAm(6 42??@E 277@C5 E@ H2:E 7@C 7656C2= C67@C>D E@ 36 7F==J 6?24E65] %96 E:>6 7@C !6??DJ=G2?:2 E@ 24E 😀 ?@H[ 367@C6 E96 ?6IE 4=@DFC6 364@>6D 2?@E96C 4@>>F?:EJ’D =2DE A92C>24J]k^Am
Victoria Elliott is CEO of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association.