Study Explores Availability of Retail Pharmacies - Rural Areas Hit Hardest

MNACHC CEO Report - A study from the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) found that between 2018 and 2023, the number of retail pharmacies declined by 3.9 percent in the US. The number of retail pharmacies located in rural communities declined 5.9 percent, versus a 3.4 percent decline in urban areas.

While the number of retail pharmacies declined in rural areas, the number of rural communities with pharmacies remained relatively constant - 44.7% in 2018 to 47.6% in 2023.

Although the overall number of rural communities with retail pharmacies changed little between 2018 and 2023, there was a significant number of changes within communities.

In the five-year period, 184 rural communities lost all their retail pharmacies, and 195 rural communities gained retail pharmacies.

Moreover, nearly two-thirds of the communities gaining or losing a pharmacy, were located in the smallest rural communities (classified as “small towns” or “rural areas” under the Rural-Urban Commuting Area,- RUCA - codes).