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The Growing Crisis of Pharmacy Deserts
The signs are familiar in small towns across America, empty storefronts where pharmacies once stood, forcing residents to travel increasingly long distances for essential medications. As corporate chains focus on profit centers in densely populated areas, rural communities are experiencing a healthcare that threatens their most vulnerable residents.
When the Market Fails, Innovation Steps In
"I remember meeting an elderly couple who had lived in their small town for over 50 years," shares Jennifer Bair, PharmD, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Prisma Health. "When their local pharmacy closed, they suddenly faced a 45-minute drive each way for medications they needed daily. For people in their 80s with limited mobility, that's not just inconvenient..it's dangerous."Stories like these prompted Prisma Health to take action. Using savings from the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, the health system has established retail pharmacies in communities abandoned by commercial providers.Perhaps most remarkably, one rural town now boasts a 24/7 pharmacy, a service typically reserved for major urban centers."The overnight hours don't generate enough business to justify staffing costs," Bair acknowledges.
"We use the 340B funds to supplement salaries there. It's not about profit, it's about ensuring a parent with a sick child at 2 AM has somewhere to go."
Understanding the 340B Program
Created in 1992, the 340B Drug Pricing Program allows qualifying hospitals and clinics to purchase medications at reduced costs. The original vision was simple: help safety-net providers stretch scarce resources to serve more patients.Today, that vision faces challenges. Recent policy shifts, including an executive order signed by President Trump which aims to reduce Medicare reimbursement rates and increase pricing accountability. Supporters argue these changes could lower patient costs, while critics fear they might undermine the very providers serving vulnerable populations.
Transparency as the Path Forward
Amid growing scrutiny, Prisma Health has yielded compelling data. Medication rates have improved. Medication errors have caused fewer emergency department visits. Patients have expressed relief about reliable pharmacy access.Prisma Health's initiative demonstrates how targeted investment of federal resources can meaningfully improve healthcare infrastructure in underserved regions. By responding to local needs rather than market pressures alone, they've created a model worth studying.
"This isn't a charity, it's smart healthcare delivery."
"When people can access medications consistently, they stay healthier. Fewer hospitalizations, better chronic disease management, and stronger communities."As debates about healthcare abound in Washington and nationwide, Prisma Health's pharmacy model offers a powerful reminder: the most effective and creative solutions come from listening to the communities we serve.
Source : “Prisma’s playbook to close rural pharmacy gaps”
Written by Ashley Guerrero, ShiftRx team.
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