Pharmacists provide a range of health services and their loss can have serious implications for the provision of health care, especially in rural areas. Previous policy briefs from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis have documented the decline in the number of independently owned pharmacies in rural area, especially between 2003 and 2010. This update shows that the number of independently owned rural pharmacies has, with some minor fluctuations, continued to slowly decline. In addition, the number of rural retail pharmacies (including independent, chain, or franchise) that were the only pharmacy in the community has remained relatively stable since 2010.
Contact Information:
Keith J. Mueller, PhD
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Phone: 319.384.3832
keith-mueller@uiowa.edu